Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
Everything went very smoothly from booking the holiday with Andrea... to meeting the rep Claudia..and the drivers with the private transfers
Excellent organisation, good hotels, nice drivers, and good walking (and app is v good)
The holiday was well organised with a variety of walks in different landscapes and the Navigation App was very good.
We have always been happy to go with Headwater
Everything went to plan!! Accommodation was very good.
Good organisation. Kept informed about the trip and any changes. Queries were always answered. Staff were friendly and very helpful.
Excellent relaxing self-guided tour. Options from easy to hard walking but good advice on selecting. Great information, good hotels. All paths easy to follow. Not overcrowded with tourists. Beautiful country and great historic sights plus views.
We had a wonderful holiday despite the rain, the walks were fantastic and we loved using the GPS app. We felt we had had good communication regarding our trip and everything ran very smoothly. The hotel was perfect for this type of holiday.
We were probably unlucky with ferry/hydrofoil disruption. Overall we decided that the trip involved too much travel time - but we realise that is the nature of the trip. 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve travelled with headwater previously so knew I would be well looked after in every way .
From the first enquiry to the last taxi pick up every thing was ,efficient, accurate ,and professional.
We have been on several walking holidays with Headwater and have never been disappointed. Booking the holiday is easy and the staff are helpful and have made alterations for us.
The accommodation has always been as described and brilliant for walkers. I would recommend Headwater for a hasslefree and enjoyable activity holiday
The agent who helped us book was knowledgeable and helpful and recommended better options that we hadnt considered. We were kept well informed. he whole trip went smoothly with no problems with any bookings
The walking app was really good. The walks were great perfect holiday.
A lovely variety of walks allowing you to appreciate the Puglian countryside. Good restaurant recommendations.
We liked the navigation app but it monopolises your phone so do take a camera along as well .
Rosey Oct 24.
Great way to explore the countryside; was even better than we’d expected!
Well organised
On time
Communicative
Well organised, clear instructions, all the transfers and hotels and hydrofoils as planned.
I think Helen did her best to find us good alternative accommodation when first choices became unavailable. Walking notes were detailed.
Very well organised holiday
Good, imaginative package, very well-organised, but I do have some reservations about the amount of travelling on a short trip, and the up-to-date info on one walk.
Excellent notes for the walking; easy app; good hotels & interesting places.
Most things worked well
I thought the itinerary was varied and well-planned and moving from one place to the next ran very smoothly.
A very enjoyable and varied holiday with interesting places to walk and visit off the beaten track. Excellent transfer arrangements and good and varied accommodation.
I love the attention to detail you get from Headwater and the personal interaction from the staff, they go the extra mile to make a special holiday for you
The organisation of the trip was simple and easy and the responses from Headwater were efficient and speedy.
The holiday was truly amazing. The choices of towns, hotels & self guided walks were faultless. The perfect exploration of the Puglian region, with the app providing insightful knowledge on the towns and walks along the way. Would highly recommend and thank you to headwater for organising the memorable trip!
All the boxes ticked, once we all got used to the ap, with only one hiccup all went as planned, and good weather
Overall a very well organised holiday with good walking routes
We enjoyed the walk very much. We are in our early 70's so were looking for an enjoyable rather than an extreme experience. The walks were through lovely countryside; the accommodations were very good and in keeping with a little "out of the way: experience; the navigation app worked well at all times; and, the Headwater staff and Hotel staff were consistently very helpful. Very happy to recommend.
The booking process was easy. I was apprehensive about booking a self guided tour - but it was fabulous. The transfers to and from the airport were exceptional. The hotel and the food were amazing. The app was easy to use - I found the written directions overwhelming, however the real time navigation alleviated that concern.
Trip well organised. Transfers faultlessly facilitated. Hotel food and staff excellent.
We really enjoyed our exploration of the Euganean Hills and discovering a new part of Italy, despite its closeness to Venice.
Very good holiday information and a superb navigation app that was generally very accurate (as was the printed copy). Due to cancellation of original flight by BA phone calls (on a Sunday) to Headwater resolved the small onward train issues we had. Hotels provided were highly suitable and ongoing transport of cases worked well.
Overall a great holiday at an excellent hotel in a stunning setting, only slightly marred by a couple of impassable routes. PG
Interesting routes and great places to stay.
We’ve had such a great holiday - the walks were varied and interesting - we were confident using the app and the written directions. The locations were wonderful. Thank you
Excellent service. Prompt and helpful communication.
I didn't organise this trip but would recommend it. Great contact in Puglia - Marco - who was very helpful.
Excellent organisation, all the taxi transfers worked very well. Walking app was quite easy to use once we were using it for real.
We visited some really interesting towns that we would not have otherwise experienced.
All arrangements went smoothly, the hotels, luggage transfer and app all worked perfectly
Our holiday was very well organised, everyone we dealt with was friendly and helpful. When there were weather-related issues alternative arrangements were made quickly and we were kept informed of what was happening
The team were great from the start, very helpful and prompt to respond to my queries/requests.
We really enjoyed our Headwater holiday. All destinations were either fascinating, stunningly beautiful or both! Support on the ground was superb with our agent "going the extra mile" to rearrange logistics in the face of an impending storm. Our guide for Mount Etna was fantastic. The hotels could have been better but this did not spoil our trip!
Headwater Holidays was very helpful in advising on our choice of walks and responsive to our questions in planning our holiday. The trip was well designed, accommodations were excellent and the app was flawless. Written material on sites and history was thorough and informative. Each day of our walk on the St. Francis and Olive Grove Ways was magical. We are delighted now to plan our next walk with Headwater.
This was a wonderful hiking holiday in a perfect location - Dobbiaco was a great home base and we absolutely loved the town, one of our favourites in the Dolomites. Headwater/ Hotel Bellevue provided everything we needed to enjoy our week of hiking. We especially took advantage of the spa facilities - that was a superb way to wind down at the end of a long day of hiking.
We had an interesting, active and enjoyable holiday on Sicily visiting places we would have been unlikely to get to on our own. When there were weather issues which affected the hydrofoil local staff put in alternative arrangements and this allowed us to continue to enjoy our holiday, even though it was not quite the holiday we had hoped for.
Everything went smoothly and it was an excellent holiday
Overall experience was excellent. Megan at Headwater was extremely helpful in helping us to choose and arrange the holiday and everything about our trip to the Dolomite was brilliant - fabulous hotel, great walking app, amazing scenery and we even had perfect weather!
I guess Headwater removed the hassel of finding/booking accomodation and provided walking itinery ideas and detailed route information. We arranged our own flights and transfers.
We have been very impressed with the holiday start to finish, especially as this is the 4th time this trip has been arranged, we have had cancellations due to natural disasters and an injury and it has been very easy for us to change the holiday to new dates without issue.
We really enjoyed the holiday just disappointed that the sixth walk involved quite a lot of the fifth walk.
True to its description. beautiful islands with stunning views. Moderate difficulty for the walks, with options to use public transport as and when required. Highly recommend stopping at O' Sole Mio where we met Francesco, the most charming gentleman (and owner/chef) who prepared for us a tasty lunch. Albergo II Monastero hotel was superb.
Given it was very short notice after a quick decision to travel on holiday everything was really well organised. Everyone was very helpful and we had no problems at all arranging travel or during the trip. I think maybe it needs taking into account that difficulty of walks will increase given weather conditions and that generally you will be outside walking at the hottest time of day. That said we managed the walks successfully but I think that's because we are experienced walkers, it was tougher in the recent heatwave.
We absolutely loved the walks and the hotel. The staff were lovely. We didn't meet an Exodus or Headwater representative so we're not given additional advice on the walks. This was fine for us, but some people would not have completed the waterfall walk due to the exposed section. It was a beautiful walk and our favourite of the holiday.
Trip was excellent
Superb location, superb hotel with fabulous food. The walking was amazing and using the headwater app finding the route was never an issue.
Booking with Headwater introduced us to walking in the Dolomites. The walks were lovely, and with the exception of one, were consistent with the level indicated. A great introduction to a fabulous area for walking. The hotel, and food, was an unexpected highlight
The pace of the holiday and the hotels chosen was excellent. The app worked really well., and using mainly the audio enabled us to be hands free
Clear description of the holiday, borne out by our experience. Only the high temperatures restricted our activity, walks were v clearly indicated through the app. An overall map would have been helpful (more for orientation than on-the-ground guidance). We intend to book with you for Slovenia in 2025.
It is difficult for us to comment on the walks as because of my husband's illness we only did half of the first walk and deviated from your walks on most of the other days but we felt the walks we did do could have been more interesting. We customised the holiday to some extent - we missed out the last walk and rearranged the taxi so we had more time for sightseeing in Siena; on another day we did a shorter walk following tourist signs from Greve, and at Radda we chose to do a shorter walk which we found at the Tourist Office. We added an extra night in Florence which gave us a full day there, and added a night in Pisa at the end of the holiday so for us this holiday was as much a sightseeing holiday as a walking holiday which worked well.
Greve was a lovely place and ideal for a rest day particularly as the hotel had a swimming pool. Our two nights there were perhaps the highlight of the walking holiday.
We would be grateful if you could pass on our thanks to Scape for arranging our rescue when my husband became ill halfway through the walk from Florence to Impruneta - for their helpfulness, courtesy and patience, and I know we put the taxi driver who made a detour to pick us up to some inconvenience. They were equally helpful when we rearranged taxi times later in the week.
This is an excellent well organised walking holiday as it’s one day hiking and one day off to discover the towns. The scenery is spectacular and all the Hotels were a very good standard. The Amalfi Coast is a very expensive part of the world so the holiday represents good value for money. I would avoid June July and August as even though our weather reached maximums of 28 degrees it felt hotter as very high humidity. This is our 7th self guided trip with Headwater and we have always found them to be very professional and experts at finding the best locations.
Another good Headwater walking holiday, but perhaps not the best we have had because of unseasonally hot weather for mid-June. Lovely coastal scenery, the inland sections spoiled in part by many dead olive orchards. This, plus one or two more challenging sections, suggest a Level 1+ grading in our view. Good hotels, two with very welcome swimming pools. Would have liked more time to explore Lecce and Otranto, so perhaps it would be better to include two "rest" days.
What a brilliant holiday. Loved using the App for the walks. Loved the variety of hotels and islands. Using the App visually at times was useful as we could check that we were on track.
Procida was like Italy unspoilt. Ischia was somewhere in the middle and Capri was far too busy until we did the walk and saw no one.
A good degree of fitness needed as all three island had hills, together with 28deg heat to make it really enjoyable.
The App made it possible to see all the back alleys as well as more mountainous routes.
generally speaking we were very happy an will recommend Headwaters to our friends
Superb pre-booking service and excellent walking app. Would have benefited from a bit more guidance on good things to do at the various places that we stopped on the walk. Obviously we can google this ourselves, but actual feedback from people doing the trip would have been valuable.
Overall a good experience.
The temperatures were much higher than usual for the time of year which made the walking much more of a challenge.
Well organised and efficient. Katie very proactive and helpful, went the extra mile for us. Our third holiday with you over the last two years and would certainly travel with you again. Five star service.
An excellent experience despite one vey poor hotel.
One of the best holidays we have ever had. Didn’t want to leave.
The App was great - all the information you need for walks, elevations, transport and lunch options. We mainly just used the map on the App for route navigation but it also has written navigation cues and you can have the instructions read out to you like a sat nav if you choose!
The hotel was excellent as well. Delicious food, lovely views, friendly and helpful staff.
We would feel very confident that if we chose a Headwater holiday again we would get fantastic walking in a beautiful place with a great hotel. Thank you Headwater!
An outstanding experience. Everything went like clockwork. Particularly impressed with the transport of bags to next hotel plus dropping us off at start of walks. Drivers were so professional with lovely Mercedes cars. Hotel staff lovely. Also loved the choice of destinations - a nice variety, ie not all in bustling tourist destinations.
Generally a very good experience.
A great holiday in a beautiful part of Italy. Well organised, with no problems at all. A good range of different walks; cliff tops, olive groves, wooded valleys, hill-top towns, building up to the unique and stunning city of Matera. Directions were easy to follow. The walks weren't too challenging, leaving plenty of time and energy for exploring. Comfortable and quirky hotels, including a Trullo in Alberobello. Teenager declared it the 'best holiday yet'.
It was a lovely trip, the first walk was arduous and the app misguided us …. But we loved the whole trip . Staff were on hand to help if we needed it .
We had a great holiday and loved discovering Puglia and Matera. We felt that most of the days the destination was better than the walk. Our favorite walk was the one into Matera, definitely cross the bridge and don't take the transfer!
Excellent holiday walking the Amalfi coast. Hotels varied - but generally good. Some parts of navigation notes need updating g - ut combined with the app - not too many wrong turns.
Path Of The Gods was very busy & challenging in places - it doable
A good way to see the area
Recommend an upgrade to a sea view room
Headwater were very thorough and very professional. Any problems we had weren’t their fault.
Very well organised and enjoyable. App is excellent. Makes old style paper and map itineraries obsolete.
Very proactive and helpful service. Would definitely use again
Another well organised trip that went smoothly and according to plan.
Very happy with self guided walking package, with the contact before travel and with the hotel. My only issue is with the guide. A nice lad who made himself available however when asked about our free day, we were unable to join one of the fully guided trips ( understandably) and our guide couldn’t offer any options. Not a problem for us as we are experienced travellers and well able to sort ourselves out however from previous experiences guides are often Mr fixits and have contacts which I don’t think the guide had.
This was our first time on an organized walking holiday and we were glad that we chose the location (Siciliy), time of year (May) and self-guided tour. We got to know our fellow travellers who were all nice people but things were not too intense as a guided trip might have been. It was also nice to have a selection of walks so that we could all chose walks to our level and compare notes afterwards. We learned a lot from our fellow travellers. Headwater did a great job of the arrangements which removed a lot of the stress of holidaymaking and we were very grateful to Helen for arranging to postpone the trip for a year when our personal circumstances meant we had to pull out the month before leaving. Overall we were glad we chose Headwater and would do so again in the future.
We enjoyed our Headwater holiday immensely. The Sales Team were so professional and provided excellent instructions and information. Everything went according to plan, the flights, transfers and briefing on the itinerary for the week. Sicily was so beautiful and all of the accommodation was fantastic. We especially loved Baglio la Luna for it's stunning views and it's charming host Daniella. The walks were well organised and Zingaro Nature Reserve was our favourite. Marettimo Island had a very special charm and beauty. We felt that the last walk at Monte Cofano might be too much to do in the time allowed and in the heat so our driver very kindly drove us to the end of the route so we could walk back as far as we wanted along the coastal path and then return to the meeting point. Thank you Headwater for a wonderful holiday.
An excellent holiday in beautiful areas --and good company as well
We thoroughly enjoyed our Headwater experience as it took us to a part of Sicily we would not otherwise have explored. There was a nice variety to our days and we were given plenty of options of what we could do. We enjoyed the fact that we were self-guided but met up with fellow Headwater guests every so often, allowing us to get to know them during the holiday, allowing us to feel very comfortable together and enjoy each others company in the final stop at Baglio de la Luna. We particularly appreciated the fact that the days seemed to work out to be hard walks every other day, allowing for a bit recovery in between. I think we would have appreciated a bit more guidance as to where the nicer beaches were. For example on Marettimo we only found the nice beach which was mentioned in your suggested short walks on our last day there. We also loved the white stone beach at the end of the coastal walk in Levanza. It would also have been useful to have some restaurant recommendations. All in all, however, it was a very successful holiday leaving us with memories of stunning views, nicely sore muscles, ravenous appetites satisfied by exceptional Sicilian food and great travel companions. We would recomment Headwater to our friends.
Really enjoyable trip in a beautiful if rather crowded part of Italy. The walking was different to usual with many steps, but the routes were interesting with superb views. The accommodation was of a high standard. The Amalfi hotel was very welcoming and friendly, whilst the Positano hotel larger and less attentive,
The navigation system does come with cliches and at times some confusing directions, but you eventually you get used to it.
We'd travel with Headwater again.
The holiday was great. Loved the flexibility of Headwater for allowing us to spend extra time in Rome. The walks were very good wrt length, difficulty, maps, navigation etc. I noticed during the holiday there were different hotel options and next time I might focus a bit more on which ones. Having said that, we got a good range of places to stay and the B&B basis worked perfectly for us (except in Porteta) which is in the middle on nowhere and therefore the restaurant being open was rather crucial.
Excellent guide for the Etna walk. App was very good though we didn’t need it really.
Fabulous Holiday. Great places. Very enjoyable.
Organisation, locations and accommodation was excellent. Parts of the walk were harder than described, notes were not very good , app was excellent
Our hiking trip with Headwater was extremely well planned, flexible and all the detail taken care of. The App was excellent We selected Headwater because we could stay in the one accommodation and travel out each day. Our accommodation was Artimedes, a self contained unit. Loved it. Hotel due Torri is a family run business. They make sure all customers are made to feel welcome and enjoy their time with them. The food selection during the week was lovely and varied. Cooking classes are a nice touch. Close to all required bus stops and the town is interesting to walk through.
Had a good experience with Megan when booking as was adding onto a trip with my friends.
Trip was great and the app was very accurate and gave good, clear instructions.
A well planned holiday which we enjoyed. Pity so much was closed in Marettimo as this was restrictive. Excellent and very knowledgeable/helpful local agent. Well planned walks.
Overall very enjoyable and well planned trip . Taxi service was excellent , local contact excellent . Really need to sort the island visit before the season starts there.
As we were on a self guided walking holiday it was important that everyone played their part when they needed to (airport transfers, chauffeurs, luggage transfers, etc) and Headwater made that happen and so the holiday was stress free. Everything worked like clockwork and crucially the route notes were well written and accurate which has given us confidence in another self guided holiday experience.
We were so impressed with the organization of our holiday. The first time we used Headwater it took us a few days to believe that our luggage would be at our hotel when we arrived. No doubts this year. The staff at all the hotels was helpful and friendly. The walking was great, though hilly - we should have looked at the itinerary more carefully before we left?! We loved it. Already thinking about where to go next year. Thank you.
We really enjoyed the walking holiday. We hadn’t expected to walk through so many meadows which were very enjoyable. It was a walking holiday where you do get away from everything and only see a few fellow walkers most days.
We would recommend that you visit the local shops, bakery etc. before you set off as there isn’t always anywhere on the way.
Would we recommend this Headwater holiday in Puglia to friends? Absolutely. There were a few 'hiccups' but overall, we really enjoyed our trip.
Fascinating coastline and wonderful wildflowers. Great introduction to Salento.
A highly enjoyable holiday, well planned, excellent choice of hotels and interesting walks that ennobled us to get a real flavour of the Amalfi coast.
This was our first self guided walking holiday. It exceeded our expectations - excellent varied and interesting routes, interesting and comfortable accomodation, friendly people throughout, wonderful breakfasts to start the day and great local evening meal recommendations. The transfers all worked beautifully and we enjoyed the train journeys. The walks were very peaceful; we especially loved the wildflowers, olive groves and vineyards. (The final gorge walk into Matera was not much fun - very congested and slippy - we were anxious about falling despite our walking poles and boots. It was a holiday weekend and the suspension bridge was newly opened so may usually be quieter.)
Very good. Great tour - so varied. Beautiful part of Italy.
We stayed in the Artemide apartment, which was only a few yards from the hotel reception; the staff at the hotel were lovely, the food excellent; we enjoyed participating in the visits to the kitchens for the pizza, pasta and tiramisu making and socialising with the other hotel guests.
We really enjoyed our holiday despite the changeable weather and the towns & bus services becoming very overcrowded later in the week. We experienced wonderful views on all our walks, from the paths high above the coast, from the top of Tre Colli and the waterfalls in the nature reserve at Valle delle Ferriere (we did this walk to/from the reserve starting from the village of Pontone), on our free day we did a walk through the lemon groves to Maiori. Be aware that there a lot of stone steps on the downhill walks; we used local buses to avoid where we could (eg from Montepertuso to Positano and from Pontone to Amalfi).
The trip was great and the walks were excellent. Some routes were so quiet during our April visit, we barely bumped into another soul, which really suited us. Some routes are off the beaten path; that's special and something you might not find otherwise. The app was impressive and we utilised it fully.
Christine and I have a walking holiday each year and we always travel with Headwater because of the reliability of the quality of service and assistance if and when required.
We enjoyed our holiday. It was affected by the weather but your local agents handled the situation very well.
Although it was quite expensive vacation for us we had a lovely holiday which was, overall very well organised by Headwater who were always available when we were unsure about any aspects of the journey.
One thing that really stood out was how flexible and understanding the team were with our requirements. My wife was suffering with morning sickness and her capacity to do the full itinerary was really compromised. The itinerary itself allowed for a bit of a pick-and-choose approach but I was really impressed with - and appreciative of - the quite late notice change of pick-up times and drop off points.
An excellent holiday in a less visited part of Italy. The area is hilly and the walks excellent. Because they are not too long there is plenty of time to cope with hills at your own speed. We took this holiday in Spring and appreciated the sunny mild weather and abundant wild flowers.
The Hidden Villages of Umbria holiday is wonderfully designed. The locations are stunning and there are countless panoramic views. All the people we met were friendly and helpful. The food is great too. Get food for picnics on your walk from local alimentari, or anywhere that advertises panini. If you have a pre dinner drink in a bar, it will probably come with snacks. Try the scrambled eggs with truffles. Look out for wild boar on your walks - we saw some on the first walk. We would also recommend adding a day in Assisi at the beginning of the trip, As ever, Headwater were able to accommodate our extra request. They are a pleasure to deal with!
The app is terrific; it's clear that great care has gone into it's creation. Occasionally it was a little wobbly in orienting itself and a few yards behind us (as it were) in navigation, so we had to wait a few moments for it to catch up. These are minor points however, it's great!
The overall holiday once in Puglia was fantastic. The local partner was excellent, the walks and accommodation hit the mark. The walking level was spot on and the options worked well. Using local trains also worked well. All transfers and pick ups worked like clockwork. More work is needed in the outbound flight arrangements. The choice of hotel in Milan was poor - nature (old), location and price. The whole flight combo to get to Brindisi or perhaps Rome / Bari needs thinking through. The original return flight had a 24 hour stopover in Rome which we had changed. With a 5 hour connection, no stopover is needed.
We have had over 10 holidays with Headwater and always enjoy the walks and the hotels. It gives us a flavour of the country we are visiting.
Our experience of Headwater is very positive, the staff are very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We liked that one person, Megan took care of our booking it made our holiday feel Taylor made for us. Many thanks.
Not perfect but we will use you again. Thank you.
The locations and walks were interesting and varied. Accommodation was good.
Loved our holiday, and the walking navigation app was really great. The hotel Taverna del Capitone was wonderful
As we only booked 3 days in advance of travel, I found your staff most helpful in booking our trip.
Although we made some compromises on accommodation, which inevitably affected the cost, due to our late booking this was acceptable. In hindsight the necessary upgrades made the trip more memorable than being in a standard room after a long hot hike.
Communication with Headwater staff was easy, with quick response times to any queries. We were able to tailor the trip to suit our needs and it felt like the staff really cared that we had a good holiday / experience. The trip ran smoothly with transfers always arriving on time. The accommodation was of a good standard.
Our walking holiday in Sicily was in October 2023 and the weather was still very hot so we chose to do shorter walks, rather than the more strenuos of the route options. This gave us time to enjoy swimming in the clear blue sea waters and to use the hotel swimming pools and loungers. The walking tracks were clearly marked and easy to follow.
We booked ourselves on to a boat trip around the island of Marettimo which was one of the highlights of our trip, with several opportunities for snorkelling and even a swim through a sea cave. The waters here are unbelievably clear.
Our trip itinerary included visits to some historic sites (additional entry fee for some) which were interesting and added to our trip.
Very well organized and great places to stay
We have now completed 3 Headwater holidays and we would definitely use them again. The quality of the hotels is excellent, the app makes the walks easy to navigate and we feel we get a better sense of each area by walking through the countryside, mostly away from busy roads.
Booked with friends who had already booked the trip - so whole thing was not hugely researched by ourselves. So the whole thing was a wonderful experience
I was very happy with the organisation of the holiday
The transfers were excellent and we really enjoyed the family run hotel, the service was great and food very good. I think we’re found the walks quite strenuous but that’s probably because we ourselves weren’t really fit enough but we thoroughly enjoyed them nonetheless! The views were amazing. Everything was very well organised, the flight was diverted for refuelling but that was obviously nothing to do with Headwater! So we were on the plane for 7 hours whereas it should have been 2 hrs 40.
Generally a very enjoyable holiday with well organised transport
We loved it.
Very well planned and everything went smoothly. It would be nice if there’s weren’t better or more information about where the hotels are situated relating to centrums
Excellent at home and away
Nav app was excellent, different accommodations brilliant, choice of route itinerary was also excellent for varied scenary and interesting holiday.
This was a great holiday. Walks just long enough and challenging enough as we had a very hot week (end of September). Although not really difficult terrain we were glad of our walking poles as some of the vineyard tracks are very steep.
The hotels were so lovely it was a pleasure to relax there on our free days. We stayed at Casa Pavesi in Grinzane Cavour as the advertised hotel was not available for our dates. This was a great result as Pavesi is charming and characterful, castle interesting and has Michelin-star restaurant (book in advance) and Grinzane Cavour has other restaurants, wine bar/coffee/deli and was a nice place to hang out on a free day. We had steak cooked on the open fire at La Tagliata, a short walk out of the village.
A short detour into Albaretto on the last walk found us a restaurant whose owner kindly made us coffee and takeaway paninis for our lunch. Unfortunately the tower was shut - looks amazing.
The last night tasting menu at Villa d’Amelia was incredible - better than the Michelin restaurant above!
Worth noting that vegetarians/vegans might struggle in this part of Italy, it’s a very meat/dairy cuisine.
One criticism - the local guide (and other people) said the walk to Serralunga d’Alba (from Grinzane Cavour or the other hotel) was really well worth doing but with no notes, nothing on the app and no map provided for this we did not feel confident to attempt it.
Thank you Headwater for organising a great holiday!
All the hotels were excellent, great staff, good food and very comfortable, especially Il Monastero in Ischia. We found most of the walks too challenging for us and on reflection we would have preferred to visit only Ischia and Capri, having longer on each and the flexibility to do less walking each day.
Procida: Walking in Procida is not our idea of a relaxing walk. The island is so small it is difficult to get off the beaten track and every narrow street is a main road. We felt vulnerable walking through the narrow streets with locals speeding past in their cars, vans and on scooters and electric bikes. The whole island was very run down.
Ischia: A much nicer island, more pleasant to walk about. We found the buses completely unfathomable, no signage along the routes, on one occasion we ended up going back to Ischia Port because we missed our stop! Not as easy to buy tickets as the information suggested.
Capri: A lovely, upmarket island, stunning views.
Some initial confusion over logistical arrangements, due to this being a new trip for Headwater in 2023, We were given compensation for the cost of the ferry from Naples to Procida and also given extra evening meal because of incorrect info on itinerary.
We had a problem with a cancelled EasyJet flight and Headwater were extremely helpful and efficient in helping us to resolve this issue.
Everything went according to plan and we were very satisfied overall. The accommodation was excellent and the transfers went smoothly. There were a few minor issues that I have listed below.
Very satisfied with the itinerary and the smooth transfers.
All the advantages of independent travel with the logistics taken care of.
A superb trip which i have wanted to do for awhile and i would highly recommend a few days in Turin. Would suggest late September just before the harvest and the truffle festival but the region is busy and remember certain places and restaurants shut Monday/Tuesday and other random days so worth booking well in advance.
This was my 7th Headwater trip and wonderfully put together with changes by Megan in the sales team.
My first walking holiday with Headwater. Fabulous-from start to finish. The walking, food & stunning views.
We were self guided but it was lovely in the evenings to be asked if we wanted to join a group in the kitchen to see our meal being cooked, included in bbq.
But had our own table etc. ( you need to enjoy local food & not expect to eat early)
Other benefit being with like minded people- they are there for the walking, socialising, food, wine but comfort of a clean bedroom, hot shower & not late noisy nights🤣
Probably the best organised holiday I have ever been on. And I'm a travel agent! Less than a week before we were due to travel our holiday had to be cancelled due to damage caused by extreme weather in Greece. We had trains and hotel booked in Gatwick for the night before departure and Headwater moved heaven and earth to get us an alternative going on the same day so our arrangements weren't ruined. They did it within 24 hours, at no extra cost and boy was it a good alternative. The accommodation we had was outstanding, quirky, high standard and very different, the walking was varied through some lovely countryside and along the coast. The app worked perfectly, especially when we managed to miss a turning, it got us back on track very efficiently. The local transfers were by suited chauffeurs in large Mercedes which was a bit above and beyond. I can't say enough good things about Headwater, this was a fabulous trip and we will definitely be doing another. Thank you.
It’s not our favourite walking holiday with Headwater, because at time the Strada Blanche seemed to drag on. We prefer walking in woodland, such as in Alsace Vosges or the French Jura. I think this holiday is more suited to cycling - we saw many happy cyclists out there.
However Stefano is definitely one of the best hosts we’ve had, such fun and passion. La Pietriccia is a great location too, with lovely food and service.
Well planned and organised. The only disappointment was that we were told the Tibetan bridge in Matera was closed, which it wasn't. The final walk Matera would have been much more interesting if the bridge had been included (although we can understand why it wasn't).
Your representative, George, together with the hotel staff we met along the way, were without exception pleasant, friendly and efficient.
On our walks, the app worked very well and the printed route notes were an excellent back up. The walks themselves (apart from the second half of the walk to the Sporting Hotel) were enjoyable.
We were not happy with the Sporting Hotel - a hotel closer to the walking area would be better, and the motor bikes at Teolo spoiled our enjoyment of the Villa Lussana. As we have mentioned we had paid for a superior room with balcony at this hotel and would appreciate a refund for this.
We had a very pleasant holiday where concerns and questions we had before travel, particularly re the navigation app, were addressed beforehand. All arrangements worked smoothly
Headwater take care of the work required to produce a complex itinerary so we can relax and enjoy our holiday. We got to see a lot of Sicily in just one week and have returned home with some extraordinary memories. The highlight has to be the guided night hike up Stromboli to witness the volcanic fire show, very humbling.
The holiday was well-organised and the walk descriptions were easy to follow. The walks were perhaps more strenuous than we had expected. The only thing that spoiled the holiday was that one of our suitcases did not arrive and still has not arrived. We would appreciate more help from Headwater with this.
A great walking holiday in a great location .
The holiday exceeded our expectations. The change for a second cup of coffee at the Marettimo Residence was at best surprising and at worst enough to make recommending the holiday different
Some of the walks were more challenging than we expected. We are experienced hill and costal path walkers and we found some walk’s difficult particularly in the heat.
This "walking holiday" is different from many others as there is only one point-to-point walk (Cofano), several sights (Erice, Segesta), and a lot of pickups. Thankfully, as it would have been a disaster to have had 5 point-to-point walks in 34+°C heat.
We didn't attempt the sensible length circular walks in Zingaro or Marettimo as it was too hot.
The longer ones were out of the question.
If you don't like tuna or swordfish, your restaurant choices will be very limited, but octopus lovers will be quids in.
We stayed on for 4 nights in St Vito lo capo in the middle of the Couscous Festa. This is a very Italian affair and the town was packed with Italians, not foreigners!
Lovely safe beach.
Thoroughly enjoyed this holiday. Walks were long but manageable through stunning tuscan countryside. You will need to have a portable charger for your phone in order to use the app as it uses up battery life quickly. The accommodation was good, spacious rooms clean and comfortable. The staff were helpful, efficient and welcoming. The food was very good filling and tasty. Local wine was very pleasant. On the free day the spa was very enjoyable. There is a long train journey to contend with which was a slight drawback. However, I would highly recommend this holiday if you like long self-guided walks through stunning countryside, comfortable accommodation, good food and wine, expertly organised by Headwater.
The holiday completely met my expectations/intentions. I found Headwater easy to deal with. It was my first holiday with Headwater since 2011 (Slovenia) though my wife and I had been on at least seven previous Headwater holidays, starting in 1988. We were always very happy with the service provided.
Overall, we were quite happy. Villa del Poeta, really made the holiday. The staff there were amazing! They made me feel like a friend, not just a walking wallet. We felt Headwater could have done a little more to make us feel welcome and take any concerns away, such as 'How to catch a bus/train in Italy'. More advice on places to visit and their opening hours, even if it has to be revised regularly. Although I'd have thought once a year enough.Lists of nearby restaurants would be good and local customs. We didn't realise dinner generally isn't eaten till 7.30 ish. Our intro felt rushed and fitted around the guides other work, as nice as he was. There were some great stops on some of the routes (Villa Beatrice). The routes were a bit tougher than we were expecting but there were some great views and it definitely felt like a slice of Italy.
Everything went well with all aspects of the holiday.
Enjoyed holiday and booking went smoothly - the tour round Puglia was good and well thought out. Staff at Headwater were good and very helpful.
Would also like thanks passed to your agent in Italy for their excellent service.
Beautiful part of Italy with ample opportunities to sample local food and refreshment. The walks are not for the faint heartened. Shortish distances each day but a lot of climbing up and down. Very easy to use local buses and ferries to get around
Fantastic holiday , beautiful weather, amazing scenery . Suggested itinerary of routes was first class & pretty easy to follow. Easy walks to start gradually leading to more strenuous ones, but even the harder ones were fine for someone who keeps themselves fairly fit. Hotel was lovely & in a beautiful small town. 10 minutes walk to the local bus station & 5 minutes to the train station which were all very easy to use once you got the hang of it. There really isn't anything negative to say about this holiday.
We enjoyed the holiday very much but didn't always get on that well with the navigation app or the printed notes.
Excellent holiday wonderful scenery with a variety of well planned walks. All staff helpful friendly and attentive. Difficult to find fault
Excellent Navigation App. We did not use/need additional maps. Very good transport information on how to use the fantastic transport system to arrive at start and departure from walks. Glorious walks. We were very lucky with sunshine every day and so could see wonderful views. Hotel comfortable with mountain views. Good breakfasts and supper. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables! Chef on duty up to Thursday - lives in San Candido - makes the best porridge I have ever tasted! Found it useful to have German as well as Italian knowledge as several mountain lodges spoke German. Pool at hotel useful to use after a day of walking.
Wonderful area to walk in, rather busy at times in places as it was obviously very popular . This also put local transport under a certain amount of pressure
One of the best holidays we have ever had. A mix of exercise and relaxation. Well planned via the app, very easy to book and staff cheerful and helpful. Thank you
The Headwater staff were very helpful in setting up this holiday at relatively short notice. I never had to wait on the phone for it to be answered! The App and Route Notes are excellent except for the outline maps provided in the notes which lacked information - so I would strongly recommend buying the Tabacco maps as it is easy to take a wrong turning in this terrain and to give some perspective for each walk. Some of the walks were more like those in the lower Alps than true Dolomites (the Dobbiaco location being geologically at the far northern end of the Dolomites) but they all had superb views of the Dolomite peaks and some were of course right in them!
Everything about this holiday was superb. Having travelled with Exodus in the past (which is also excellent) we appreciated the superior quality of accommodation on this trip. The holiday was to celebrate my 60th birthday and I was very pleased that we made this choice. Even the weather was beautiful!
We thought Tuscany was great and so was the whole holiday. We are all getting on a bit average age 77 and Stephano helped us shorten the walks. We loved the hotel, always too much food and the local wine great and excellent value. Swimming pool just what was required and used every day. Owner great fun and very helpful. Four of us had 3 extra days and he helped us hire a car locally. All the staff were very helpful. The extra days were used to visit Siena and Pienza and were well worth it.
We had a really good week, even though the weather was variable. That’s life. The hotel was very comfy and food was good. We enjoyed the walks -especially the path of the gods.
The walking app was very good and saved a lot of time and effort looking at a map, or instructions.
Buses were a nightmare, especially with the road from Agerola to Amalfi being closed for half the week. This obviously restricted our movements.
The bus in Priano (to Amalfi) didn’t stop at bus stop 5.
The trip to Vesuvius and Pompei was excellent, with great guides at both locations.
As self guided walkers we missed out on some information such as the bbq evenin (until it happened), and receiving info about our transfer from the hotel back to the airport. We were not on the drivers list!
Carmen was very helpful.
Very good. Prompt. Friendly. Accommodating. Made us feel important. And adaptable to our suggestions.
Wonderful holiday and really well organised Thank you very much and look forward to our next holiday.
Toni was very helpful and got everything sorted quickly. We really enjoyed the walks; the app was easy to use. Our hotel was outstanding and the airport transfers worked well.
Fantastic in every way , so relaxing
We were impressed with the speed and efficiency with which problems were sorted, also the friendliness of your staff. A real dislike of flying may make us think twice about going abroad in the near future but we may consider holidays in the UK with your company.
Accomadation and food very good . Hotel staff very helpful. Headwater staff very helpful organising the holiday
Walks excellent as previously. Hotel significantly disappointing.
Fantastic. I have been singing your praises to all my family and friends. Any foreign holiday we go on from now on I'm sure will be with Headwater. The staff have been amazing throughout. It's not been easy for your staff as this holiday had to be rearranged so many times due to covid restrictions but we got there and it's the best holiday we've ever had. Thank you Headwater.
This was an outstanding holiday in every respect. The Euganean hills are a lovely place to walk and virtually undiscovered by tourists from outside Italy itself: you feel like you are in the real Italy, while still enjoying the stunning views, food, and culture you would get in more popular parts. The weather got pretty hot making some walks more challenging, but generally there was enough shade so it didn't feel unsafe. The accommodation was nicely varied and excellent throughout. We especially loved the pool at the Hotel Sporting and the food at Villa del Poeta. We had a great day out in Padua by bus from Teolo - highly recommended. And we had a perfect city break in Venice at the end. What more could you want! Headwater team was excellent throughout, with George and Carmen on the end of the phone if needed. One suggestion for future guests is to make sure you bring enough food and water with you every day, as (despite what the trip notes say) we found shops and restaurants were closed or non-existent most of the time. On day 1, there was no packed lunch available from Il Feudo, and we had to make do with some stuff from the breakfast table. It's a good idea to bring plenty of snacks (perhaps from the airport) and you really need to carry 2L water per person per day in the summer.
Relaxed single centre walking holiday. The selection of walks provided were useful in a week with quite unstable weather. The transport links from Dobbiaco made travelling to walks no problem. It made a change from the place to place walks that we have done in recent years. Overall a great taster for the high Dolomites.
A great trip - superb hotel with excellent staff. Super location with challenging but achievable walks. Would be more than happy to return.
The holiday was very enjoyable and everything went smoothly, (thanks) some of the route directions provided were a bit vague in places and we'd have preferred to have had a proper map to refer to from time to time. Overall it was a great holiday and we'll need to start planning the next adventure as soon as possible.
Fantastic holiday! Challenging walks with unbelievable scenery. Park Hotel Bellevue was the perfect place to rest (fab spa) and re-fuel after a day's walking. The hotel staff, the food, the rooms, the spa and special mention for Fabio, our favourite barman, made our holiday very special. We hope to be back!
We have now experienced Headwater on a number of occasions. We had a wonderful weeks stay at Hotel Ciasa Salares. The staff in every department couldn't be more helpful. Restaurant food from breakfast to dinner was of a very high quality and variety. Our room was spotless, however the shower was teeny tiny so it was just as well we are slim people. That said, it was still difficult to wash ourselves without hitting the wall, screen or temperature control. We had no air conditioning which would be a must during the summer months. The Headwater app was amazing and we never found ourselves lost. The Dolomites were outstanding in their scenery and we are keen to go back for winter snow. Would thoroughly recommend.
One thing to mention was the transfer cost from airport to resort which was extremely expensive. As we were extending our holiday, we hired a car for 10 days which was considerably cheaper than the taxi fare from airport to hotel.
Great walking location and a lovely hotel made for a fantastic holiday - all the better as the weather was sunny.
A very high quality experience, from the excellent responses of Katie in the office to the first class transfer and hotel to the proposed Dolomites walks through high altitude flower meadows and scenery.
Walks were cleverly graded , becoming more difficult by the day so that we were able to build our fitness. Staggeringly beautiful scenery.
Incredibly well organised break. App was great and easy to use. Gorgeous food and beautiful hotels in stunning locations. Some of the walks were more challenging than suggested, particularly when walking uphill in the heat, to reach a final hilltop destination. There was mention of “trattoria” along the way, but these were often not named or noted on the map. The last day there were no toilets, bars or restaurants along the route, which wasn’t indicated on the app. Being more specific would be extremely helpful. Highly recommend the holiday. We had such a great time and would definitely do this again.
Headwater proved to be a reliable company, courteous and helpful when booking and during the trip. George and Carmen were supportive representatives. Accommodation and hosts were mostly very good in particular Gabriella (Il Feudo) and Julia ( Borgo Petrarca ) Walks were sometimes challenging in parts .We had to negotiate difficult, steep and rocky sections. The Navigation App guiding us was good. One final stretch was on the road and tedious, however the Spa we arrived at more than compensated! Plenty of sightseeing on days off, using taxi or cheap local transport. Giottio Frescoes in Padua were wonderful and we managed to buy tickets on the day.Good cheap wine, lovely meals and lovely people.Managed a trip to Venice on last day as we had a late flight home. Overall, Fabulous experience, loved every step and will do more with Headwater.
We loved this holiday - great app - well researched walking trails and good small family run accommodation - we will definitely do another Headwater self-guided walk
Good variety of walks of differing difficulty with extremely detailed route instructions. Made extensive use of the bus and train system, which was included and also used a number of gondolas and chairlifts to access higher plateaus. The mountain backdrops are spectacular. In early June the area is pleasantly quiet.
We had a wonderful time in the Dolomites, stunning scenery and interesting history on the walks. Amazing food in the refugios on the walks and in our hotel in Dobbiaco. As we went in early June, the weather wasn't as predictable and some walk options weren't fully operational,( which we had been told could be the case by Headwater) it was still worth going at this time as it was much quieter. On the some walks we only met a handful of people which was our preference. Also it was important to carefully read the bus timetables as some buses didn't run as frequently in early June ( marked by a 1 at the top of the column). The App was amazing and made it so easy to navigate and enjoy the walks. You can turn on different audio options, one will actually tell you to turn while another option beeps when a turn is coming up. The hotel was perfectly located near the train station which made it so easy to get the train. Some buses also went from there. Food and the service in the Park Hotel Bellvue were excellent, a real personal service with a drinks reception one evening to get to chat to the other headwater walkers. Organisation and communication from Megan at Headwater was excellent making is all very easy.
Great holiday overall - would definitely travel with Headwater again
We did this trip in reverse; Capri, Ischia & Procida. That fitted with other plans we had. Headwater were great at accommodating that change and updating a significant chunk of their documentation. Walking in Procida is a bit of a struggle given the nature of the island but the other islands made up for that. We especially enjoyed Ischia where the accommodation was fantastic and we used the buses (as we did in Capri) to visit some of the sights including a day at the Aphrodite Apollon Thermal Park which we would heartily recommend.
Walks were fabulous. Great accommodation. Food was excellent. We learnt a lot about the wine and food at Villa Amelia both of which were exceptional. Do do the walk to Serralunga it’s fabulous.
This holiday provides a great opportunity to see some of the main highlights of the Puglia region, visiting many sights of historical interest, a good standard of accommodation, nice manageable walks, and very efficient transportation (apart from some unpredictable Italian train services).
It is a lovely part of the world.
The hotels were fantastic in every respect. Really made the holiday.
The path of the Gods walk was a good challenge for us. The other walks could have been longer.
Spectacular views everywhere you look!
The walking holiday in Puglia was exactly what we expected and hoped for. Using the GPS system we were able to walk at our own pace and enjoy the beautiful wild flowers, scenery and the varied walks that made up the tour.
Almost all of the accommodation was very good although our stay in Ostuni left a lot to be desired.
We were generally very happy with the organisation and planning that had gone into the visit.
This is a great holiday for people who have a good fitness level. The walks take longer than stated as the scenery is so magical
An enjoyable holiday with stunning scenery but the walks were somewhat more difficult than indicated due to the number and height of the steps involved. We particularly enjoyed the Tre Calle walk. Trying to use local buses was often impossible and we had to resort to taxis on a couple of occasions. The hotel was very good but is dominated by large groups if you are on a self guided holiday.
Fully up to expectations. our host provided us with an app called Ride with GPS for our phones. The routes were marked and easy to follow in real time except that we were caught out by a failing battery power.It might be good to remined future clients that it is worth having a reserve battery power pack to top up the phone if they want to use this facility. Howevere the written instructions you gave us were very good.
A full days journey to get there and return home which is tiring particularly as the service on arrival at Rome Airport was bad and rude.
Once at Chiancino it was a delight
Walking in very attractive wooded/hilly countryside, on a mixture of tracks and minor roads. May was a good choice - not too hot, but mainly sunny - although this meant some potential restaurant stops were closed. Estimate that about 5% of the itinerary is Level 2, with some scrambling required. Used the Navigation App, but glad that we had printed notes as backup when the satellite signal seemed to drop off. Second half of walk on Day 4 is tedious along roads, but Hotel Sporting Terme with its thermal swimming pool and copious buffet made up for it! Recommend a direct road transfer (at extra cost) from Venice airport to Cortela and back. We used the excellent local agents for this and they also provided day transport to/from Padua for a good day out there (Scrovegni Chapel etc). Overall a very good week.
We had an enjoyable week. The walking was, very good, although perhaps slightly more hilly than we had anticipated. The latter part of the holiday was in hotter weather about 20 to 23°, but much of it took place in dappled shade, and was a pleasant, walking temperature. We took a taxi to Padua from Galzignano a fabulous day out. I would recommend a visit to The Villa Barbarigo at Valsanzibio and also take the suggested walk and restaurant from Teolo on the day off. We chose the longer route to Cortela as it was our last walk, the terrain was quite demanding and on reflection wished we had cut out the zig zag on the way down.
An enjoyable holiday overall. Sadly the weather wasn't great for the first few days, and a couple of the ferry rides were quite rough and sea-sickness inducing. Procida is well worth a visit and relatively quiet, hotel was quiet and had a lovely garden, swimming pool, and covered patio restaurant. Sadly the evening meal was not good. Ischia is becoming very touristy, but the Monastero hotel was a wonderful find. Excellent breakfast. We did not try the dinner there as it was an expensive tasting menu. Our bathroom was a bit cramped, but others were better. A lovely garden to explore and a free ticket to the Castello which was wonderful. The walking was a bit much for us (pensioners). Taking a bus to Campagnano on the first day would cut out a tedious climb through the outskirts of Ischia town. Capri has become very overcrowded with tourists, but the hotel was well placed away from the crowds, and had a lovely terrace. It was easy to shorten the walks to allow time to visit attractions.
The planning of the holiday had been excellent. Although in one resort I was not accommodated in the hotel advertised, the alternative accommodation was delightful, suited me perfectly. and could not be faulted in any way. Transfers between transport hubs and hotels were excellent, so too the moving of luggage from location to location. A trouble-free vacation which I would love to repeat..
The itinerary and app were excellent. I think we could have opted for a harder level as despite the despicable weather we managed our walks faster than anticipated. I’m not sure the welcome chat was really worth it. It was more useful having your agent at the end of WhatsApp.
A relaxing, beautiful place to visit with outstanding food and wine! Headwater organised everything well and the local agents were highly efficient. Service in the comfortable, clean hotels is second to none. I can highly recommend Piemonte. The routes were well marked by Italian authorities and the guide notes for walking were accurate. It is a spoiling holiday with an associated price tag.
We felt very well looked after by Headwater both before and during our trip to Sicily this Spring. We have travelled with Exodus and Headwater on several guided and self-guided trips over the years, both with and without our family, and for activity holidays they would always be our first choice.
Amalfi Coast is overcrowded so be aware of this.
We loved Sicily but experienced poor weather conditions so were unable to reach the island of Marettimo (which is the core of the holiday) and were offered a poor series of alternative activities.
This was an excellent holiday. Northern Italy had just suffered a deluge on our arrival and the weather was unusually mixed during our stay. The local contacts Carmen and George were extremely helpful, and with the useful and thorough notes provided by Headwater we were able to adapt the walking. The app was very good and reliable. Villa Poetica was the stand out hotel, high on a hill in a pretty village, our host Carla was excellent . All hotels were very clean and comfortable in good locations. We added two nights in the nearby city if Vicenza to our tour, a beautiful relaxing city. This was our first walking holiday, we hope to do more with Headwater in future.
As an experienced walker I enjoyed being able to do interesting and varied walks in an area that I didn't know at all. The tranport of luggage meant we could take a bit more than we normally would which was a bonus.The app was excellent and worked flawlessly. The descriptions of the walks were accurate and they were largely off the road. Spectacular wild flowers.It was good to have coastal walks then inland ones. It would have been good to have some options for extended walks. We did an extra section at Otranto towards the lighthouse that was spectacular. The accomodation was varied and interesting though we did have issues at one hotel with lack of hot water and heating. These were responded to appropriately by Headwater. The towns we stayed in were interesting especially Matera and Lecce. The additional information given about each site was useful and we followed some of the recomendations for restaurants. We would certainly use Headwater again and indeed visit Puglia again.
We were looking for a relaxing holiday in interesting locations with lovely walks and good food. This holiday was perfect. We especially enjoyed staying in the monastery in Ischia. Breakfast on the terrace there was a delight. The walks were excellent and the navigation App was very helpful. A wonderful holiday.
A well organised holiday from start to finish. Wonderful locations with great walks and scenery. We especially enjoyed the spring flower and shrubs including many Orchids and catching sight of the wild goats and birds on Marittemo. The additional visits to Segesta and Erice were well worth doing with spectacular views. Walking notes and maps were very good and easy to follow. All three locations were very different. We especially enjoyed the last stay at Daniella's where we were welcomed on arrival each day with a pot of tea on the terrace in her beautiful landscaped gardens. All in all, we would thoroughly recommend this holiday especially if taken in May when the flora is wonderful and the temperatures are perfect for walking.
Varied and interesting itinerary, with a good mix of private transfer, train and walking. The accommodation was excellent, especially my trulli in Alberobella. The local agents, Slow Active, were excellent, always on time and ready to help. Matera was an amazing city to end the holiday with, and I'm glad we had several days there.
The Cinque Terre has some challenging walking and beautiful scenery. Unfortunately it is overly touristic (during the period we were there the local villages received some 40000 visitors per day) so village locations were impassable - walking routes not so much. This uncomfortable but also difficult as all transport is by rail, many trains being full to overflowing with daytrippers and also travellers with full baggage. Sestri Levante was a very pleasant and manageable base, and the hotel friendly and professional
Excellent and responsive advice from the start from your staff; the ensuing paperwork was thorough and comprehensive.
All the arrangements and logistics throughout were smooth and efficient.
We thought the walks were very well chosen and well balanced: demanding at times but never anything but enjoyable and rewarding. The final walk back to Benevello was our favourite - a varied and delightful walk through absolutely beautiful countryside. You definitely need to purchase a picnic for this walk.
All the hotels were very good though it took us a while to get used to the arrangements at Fontanafredda: be sure to make good use of the roof terrace - it’s a well kept secret! The Uve Rooms were also unusual but the staff were delightful and we would thoroughly recommend eating there. Our favourite hotel by far is Villa d’Amelia; it’s such a beautiful house and grounds and the staff are delightful. We ate very well there and would love to return one day.
Fabulous itinerary making the most of this region of Italy. A good balance with historical visits. The walking made the most of the wild coastline and the locations of all of the accommodation were just perfect. We traveled in the second half of April so enjoyed gorgeous wild flowers on our walks. The seafood in particular was amazing throughout and the home cooking of our last accommodation (Baglio La Luna) just perfect. Absolutely loved this week!
Well organised - well directed walks with accurate instructions. Good back up in emergency. Lovely places to stay and enjoyable walking.
A lovely hotel with excellent staff who were both helpful and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the walks as they were interesting and varied. The Headwater app was brilliant at keeping us on track. We visited both Pompeii and Herculaneum because we visited the latter on our way to the airport - it would have been helpful to have known that that was a possibility when we booked.
Good varied walking - each day was different. Beautiful places to stay. In Fuente Heridos, there is a vegetarian/vegan restaurant called “Veg and Veg”. The food is really good and interesting, and it is run by an enthusiastic couple who told us all about the food. We had one of the best meals of our trip, and we are not even vegetarian. Thoroughly recommended, particularly as a change from the general pork-based cuisine of the area
The staff at Headwater were really polite, friendly, helpful and efficient, especially when our flight was cancelled. The different hotels were great (clean, beautifully maintained, friendly staff). Treks were easy to navigate from the detailed descriptions provided and rewarded us with stunning views. It's not the cheapest way to go but Headwater took all the stress out of organising the holiday and for people with busy lives, that's worth a lot.
Excellently organized holiday where most things worked well let down by the occasional flaw. For example the B&B in Lecce claimed not to be aware of our early arrival, whilst the initail briefing was of little added value party coz the guide admitted to being distracted by events elsewhere. The wealth of overlapping, sometimes conflicting, documentation does not always instill confidence. The walking app can be a little quirky but overall works very well particularly the off route and proximity alerts, making guidance very easy.
We had a great time - lovely area, comfortable hotel and amazing walks. It was great to stay in an authentic Italian village free from tourist traps.
Piedmont is a truly beautiful, enchanting and interesting corner of NW Italy. We learnt a lot about the social and economic history, enjoyed the wines and food, and found all of the local people to be extremely friendly. The milk ice cream at the restaurant Guido was to die for! Our few days in Turin at the end were very enjoyable: a fascinating and beautiful (former capital) city with lots to see and do. We had very good weather and the end of September/early October was perfect for walking, seeing the grapes being harvested and the start of the truffle season. Some of the walks were quite tough in terms of ascent but the beauty of the landscape made up for it. We will certainly return to Piedmont.
Holiday was very good expect for staying in Belvedere Hotel
It could help if we had maps and app
Overall our holiday was great, well organised transfer, lovely staff, location and facilities at the hotel. Food and drink options also excellent. Walking options were varied.
From start to finish the whole service was first class. Highly recommended
September was a wonderful time to walk in the Euganean Hills. The countryside was beautiful and the walking interesting and scenic.
A very lovely holiday staying in beautiful cities in a variety of different types of accommodation. The walks were varied and well explained.
We enjoyed our holiday in Puglia. All the hotels were good except the one in Alberobello which wasn’t a brilliant location and the breakfast was average.
We didn’t go to Otranto as the train times weren’t great. The driver at Alberobello was lovely and extremely helpful.
We had a wonderful holiday! The unique selling point of Headwater is the combination of walking in beautiful scenery and high-class accommodation. The pace of the holiday allowed time to explore the local area as well as enjoy the hotels. The walks were generally very well described, and the maps we only used as back-up on odd occasions. I would thoroughly recommend Headwater....we had a great time ! Thank you !
A great holiday as long as you are happy to find your own way around places and have a good level of fitness. Very well organised and efficient.
All that we were looking for in this holiday - great location, stunning scenery, peace when walking, great support and excellent food - the first proper holiday for one of us in a long while and well overdue.
The only note is, wow, Tuscan food can be rich/heavy!! Used to more of the Mediterranean style Italian food and occasionally it was a bit too much for both of us in the meat and/or cheese combinations. But always excellent in taste and quality which really shone through.
Stefano and the team were outstanding, very helpful and knowledgeable. He's a great host and ambassador for you and the rest of the team were also very kind and helpful. Location is perfect, the walks measured and always end in somewhere nice for a late lunch and wander in some shady streets. Mid September was a great time - not too hot or crowded but still plenty going on.
Very enjoyable overall. The hotel was excellent apart from their billing system which conflated my bill with another couple. The scenery was beautiful but the difficulty of the walks was understated and we did not find the App helpful. More guidance is need on how to deal with an emergency situation whilst walking as access would be difficult. The written walk notes were very detailed and accurate, except for the walk from Amalfi to Ravello.
For a walking holiday, be very sure you are a strong, able walker. The walk grading is very misleading.
Stunning location - most walks are from the hotel but there is also a shuttle which always seemed to be available for us when required but in any case the local buses are frequent. We cannot rate the hotel staff highly enough, fun and enthusiastic people on reception, really knowledgeable staff in the restaurant (especially regarding the local wines)
A well organised and very interesting introduction to the geography and history of Sicily. Transfers and site visits were well planned and always ran like clockwork. We appreciated the range of walks offered to suit weather and fitness levels. Strongly recommended.
Great trip - the locations were stunning and the walking routes were fabulous. Our only mild complaint was the communications about what was open and when, on the trip. For example - we booked the trip to start on a Friday, which meant our first 'rest' day when there were 4 local wineries to visit - was a Sunday. When all 4 wineries were closed.
It would have also been useful to have the heads up about restaurant closings on Monday and Tuesday in the region. Both days it was very difficult to find lunch and dinner spots, and all that was needed was the heads up from the agent that you need to have this in mind and book in advance. The same goes for all winery tours and restaurant bookings - the places are so small and the places get booked up. The impression we had from the guide and itinerary was that you can simply drop into places, which is not the case. You need to plan much more yourself.
We had never heard of the Venetian Hills, before spotting the trip on the Headwater website, and we are delighted to discover to this beautiful and unspoilt area. It seems almost unknown to British tourists, and the visitors seemed mainly to be locals. It is perfect walking country - clear paths, lovely countryside, very quiet and peaceful. We often walked for hours without meeting a soul, enjoying stunning views.
The scenery is lovely - steep and (sometimes) rocky wooded hills, olive groves, vinyards, isolated farms, pretty villages and interesting historic villas, historic towns. The walking is good, on very quiet lanes, tracks and footpaths. The directions were almost always very clear and reliable.
Although the distances are relatively short, hills are steep and some paths are rough and rocky - especially the full option on the final day (which is well worth it). Hotels are all lovely - excellent dinners, welcoming staff. The excellent wine (very cheap) is a bonus.
La Peitriccia is a delightful agriturismo. The family were charming and Stefano could not do enough for us. We had a meeting with him every day after breakfast when he helped us work out what we wanted to do. We were a group of four, all over the age of 69! We did find the walks a bit too much for us but Stefano adjusted them and drove us to destinations and collected us when we finished the walks. The rooms were simple but very adequate and we had a lovely terrace looking over vineyards and up to the hill top village, where we had an interesting delicious wine tasting following our first day's walk.
The meals were excellent. They were always cooked freshly using local produce. There was no choice but this did not prove a problem and they felt very authentic. We drank the local wines which were delicious. The swimming pool was not heated but was very pleasant although we didn't have that much time to use it. Highly recommended.
We loved our holiday. The arrangements worked very well, although changing planes in Munich seemed to involve numerous checks of passports and boarding passes. The Ostuni Palace was of the highest possible standard and so it took quite an adjustment to settle into Palazzo Rollo where the room was much more basic. Everyone was exceptionally kind and helpful. Taxis worked well and so did the train journeys.
La Linghe is a beautiful area, almost medieval with its vistas of extensive vineyards peppered by numerous hilltop towns and villages. The walks are great, well signposted and easy to follow. Some of the views are stunning. We really enjoyed the range of locations in which we stayed: smart winery hotel, cosy wine bar rooms and some villa glamour. Just a note: If walking in August you will need to carry plenty of water as many places are closed. We found we had to be quite self-reliant on occasions which was fine but which a first timer might find a challenge.
We had a wonderful holiday in the beautiful Venetian hills with excellent walking routes and directions, lovely views and good hotel locations on our itinerary. It was the first holiday of this type we had done, and our first Headwater holiday, but we would definitely do a similar trip again. Headwater were really prompt and helpful at all times when we needed anything or had minor changes to request, and also incredibly efficient - they managed to sort our holiday when our booked holiday was cancelled at short notice, so were really so helpful on this occasion.
We have travelled a lot and done a variety of different holidays and would say that this was the best walking holiday we have ever done. The hotel is outstanding and the app was brilliant. I was worried about navigation as I usually go guided but it was so easy to use. I couldn't recommend it enough.
What an incredible week! Not sure what was the highlight the walks, scenery and views or the Casa Salares hotel and the fantastic staff, food and ambience! Seriously the walks were fantastic and helped by the weather. Could feel I was getting fitter as the week went in with the walking and the swimming pool at the hotel when we got back each day! The GPS was fantastic and worked brilliantly as my sense of direction not great which is why I normally do walking holidays with a guide! The scenery was stunning and great that most of the walks you can do straight from hotel. The hotel was something else! My friend kept telling me about the reviews for the food but I did not personally read anything about it! Blown away by the hotel and one of the best I have ever stayed in due to the wonderful staff, the incredible food and facilities! A proper family owned and run hotel. Fantastic trip all round, thank you! Not too crowded either, not like TMB!
In country experience, excellent. Local guide and transport first rate. With some minor exceptions, hotels good. HQ admin would benefit from some customer service upgrade.
Perfect location of hotel with outstanding food, service, comfortable beds and room
Amazing scenery and brilliant hiking opportunities
We will definitely return Outstanding ❤️
You need a good level of physical fitness to make the most of this holiday. Despite being experienced walkers we found the going tough, although this was probably due to the extreme heat. An interesting and varied itinerary which would have benefited from longer than a week’s stay.
A first walking holiday booking with headwater proved most enjoyable and I regret not having discovered the company nor the concept of walking holidays in my younger years
All information required for our self guided holiday was excellent and any queries were dealt with quickly by Megan who kept us up to date on everything. We did not arrive at our hotel until 1am but access at that hour had been pre-arranged. Dobbiaco was the perfect place for our self guided walking holiday and the choice of walks on the app plus the paper maps and transport tickets made it easy to work the itinerary to suit ourselves. The Dolomites are awesome!!
When BA cancelled our Saturday flights home (Venice to Glasgow via Heathrow) late Thursday afternoon I contacted Karen in the office. She couldn't have been more helpful and passed the details to Steph who managed to book (after discussion with us) alternative flights from Innsbruck to Manchester, overnight accommodation there and a new transfer from Bellevue Hotel to airport. This was all sorted by early the next day so that we could enjoy our last day in the Dolomites. your company is lucky to have employees of this standard - I could not fault them!
We very much enjoyed our self guided walking holiday in the Venetian Hills. The area is beautiful, quiet and unspoilt and the scenery and views during our walks were both impressive and attractive in equal measure. The hotels and B&Bs were varied in style and nature and were all very good. In particular the staff were invariably very friendly and accommodating, the food and wine were first class and the service provided everywhere was excellent. The local agent, George, has very good English and he was very helpful, reliable, friendly and informative. We combined the walking trip with a really enjoyable city break to Verona where Headwater arranged an excellent city centre B&B for us. All in all another first class and ver well organised Headwater holiday.
This was one of the best holidays we have been on.Either by itself or as we did combining a week in Toblach at the Bellevue . The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and with a well signposted footpath system clearly marked on the maps provided. All the walks are enjoyable and the cable car /gondola system can be utilised. The walks can be as hard or as easy as you wish and can be integrated into the local bus system .
The hotel is excellent with a comfortable rooms and a well appointed restaurant. The food is very good ,excellent variety, well served in a delightful environment .
There is a indoor swimming pool and a small gym, so do take swimwear . Overall I could not fault this holiday in the area or hotel.
Well organised holiday with easy to follow walks to chosen standard of ability. Good opportunity to meet like minded people if you wish. Scenery is absolutely stunning in Dolomites and Headwater hotel choice very good.
Fantastic and adaptable walking holiday. Excellent hotel, with great (and lots of) food, and perfect location. Most of the walks require a bus journey, which adds a little bit of logistics to the start, and some nifty speed/time/distance calculations to ensure you're not hanging around too long waiting for your bus at the end.
GPS app is good, but maps and map reading skills are still essential to enable you to properly plan your day and to figure out a 'plan B' if there are any trail closures enroute (this happened twice for us).
The scenery is absolutely stunning, and no camera can fully recreate the image. So take time to properly stop, catch your breath, and soak the views into your memory.
Stephano offers an authentic Italian experience which is all about his organic farm and what he produces, and the countryside and birds that he knows intimately and which he loves. Stephano (and his brother) welcomed us and did everything to ensure we had a good experience, we thoroughly enjoyed them and their offer. The food was prepared with care/attention to its health benefits and food miles. We loved the Tuscan countryside which you see so well by foot although it was extremely hot by midday so walks had to be undertaken earlier in the day, and some were shortened to avoid the heat. This was an unusual level of heat for June. The only difficulties we had with travel was when we returned to Heathrow, otherwise tickets and travel arrangements were excellent. Our holiday was post Covid when the hospitality industry is under pressure, we were therefore not able to have the Cookery session. Thoroughly recommend the Theia Spa and massage which had to be booked ahead.
The Eugenic Hills were unknown to us, but provided a beautiful area for walking, abounding with flowers and wildlife, with endless views over the Venetian Plain.
Great place to visit with nice walks and places to visit - would particularly recommend Ravello. Food was varied and good in hotel and Geraldo looked after us very well.
We had a fantastic holiday in Sicily.
Everything went well, good walks and hotels. The weather was hot 34 degrees (first week of June)on first day ....too hot for a 4hr walk... good there was a pool at the hotel... Marettimo was beautiful and 25degrees with a
breeze..Great restaurants fresh fish and everyone friendly. Looking forward to our next holiday with you.
The holiday was in a beautiful region and hotels were mostly excellent. All taxis ran to plan and services received were polite and friendly. Our only issue was that we are experienced walkers and map readers but the described routes had clearly not been updated for many years and were at times near impossible to follow and we did get lost twice! Paths were labelled with the wrong number and 'tiles' did not exist. Also temperatures were well over 30 degrees on some days ( we travelled 1 June) and it was bordering on being too hot to do the walks on some days. It would be helpful if some guidance on this was given in the brochure.
Walking in un-spoilt/un-touristy countryside, with many interesting places to visit along the way. A refreshing tonic from over-crowded Italian hot spots.
we designed a bespoke itinerary to celebrate an anniversary, which despite several rounds of alteration caused by intervening commitments, was created and implemented to our great satisfaction. This was one of the best holidays we have ever had. The scenery is spectacular, the walking was not too strenuous (despite the unseasonal heatwave), the transfers all ran to schedule and the accommodation of a high standard.
Excellent holiday
Walking was very good. Villa del Poeta was how all your accommodation should be for a holiday in this price bracket.
Excellent walking holiday, but be prepared for lots of steps! I would recommend to use the private transfer as there is a limited train service on a Saturday. The Hotel Due Torri was excellent and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful.
This part of Tuscany is beautiful and the hill top towns and villages are delightful. The agro tourism accommodation is a pleasant change from a standard hotel. It is lovely to be surrounded by olive trees and vines.
The food was of a very high standard, but as someone who eats little meat, I opted not to eat some of the main courses. We thoroughly enjoyed all of the walks, although the temperature was 8 deg C warmer than is usual for mid May. There are many wonderful photo opportunities. On the free day we enjoyed a visit to the thermal baths and a well deserved massage. I would encourage others to do this holiday and it was very good value for money. The only down side is the two trains and taxi journey each way to and from Rome airport, but it is ultimately worth it to reach your final destination.
The Cinque Terre walks are challenging and a certain level of fitness is required. The first walk on the itinerary is particularly challenging in terms of length, elevation and terrain and resulted in us changing the order of walks for balance. Having to use public transport to get around was not a problem and the routes generally took us to places worth seeing. The hospitality and food in Liguria was very good and there was little problem in finding gluten free options as required.
The scenary in Western Sicily is spectaclar. The island of Marettimo is a particularly special "away from it all" place with virtually no cars but boats parked everywhere. The people are friendly. The food - fish of course - is very good. The walks and the swimming excellent.
We had a very good holiday with some lovely walks in beautiful locations. The weather was perfect at this time of year (2nd - 10th May) for walking and all the 4 hotels were clean and comfortable and all very different. We ate some delicious food and tried some excellent wines. 3 of the walks were consistent with the grading but we found the Path of the Gods very challenging and harder than we had expected. One of the features of the Amalfi coast are the hundreds of steps both in the towns and villages and on many of the walks and this is something that anyone booking this holiday should be aware of.
All the organisation ahead of our holiday was excellent. The hotel in Sestri Levante was a gem. Magda, Santo and all the team were so welcoming and friendly there were hugs and even moist eyes when we left. Santo's dinners were excellent and we ate at the hotel beyond the three arranged nights at a very reasonable price. A free laundry room and a roof terrace with clothes horses was a great help. Rooms are fairly basic but spotless and comfortable. The hotel is well located for the station and exploring the town.
The Cinque Terre is a popular area for walkers and the five towns are very busy with tourists. Some of the paths were fairly busy and would be more so in high season. The walk notes are copious and route finding very easy. I would suggest the walks might be graded tough rather than moderate, there are many very steep sections which are less path and more rock climbing. A fair bit of hands, knees and bottom especially on descents. Trains are not as frequent as might be hoped!
Headwater arranged our train travel from London to Naples. Whilst we have arranged journeys like that before, it was much easier having them do it. The app was great for our self-guided walks. The thing that really made our activities work so well was the advice from Gerardo in the hotel. He advised which day to go where according to the weather and also the May 1st Public Holiday. He helped us organise a trip to Paestum (really recommend that). The hotel was very comfortable and staff were both friendly and efficient.
The slight downside to our trip was buses. Although we were very happy to stay just off the coast, getting the bus back to Bomerano each day is quite difficult. There were days when not everyone got on. We often had to stand on a very crowded bus - not easy when waiting for a hip replacement. We were asked if we would share out transfer to Naples. We were happy to do this but were then told the time would change to suit the others as we had over 2 hours at the station.
A lovely holiday in a quiet, unspoilt part of Italy.
Walking in Puglia is a great way to see the area, as there is time to see both the countryside and the beautiful towns.
This was an excellent and really well organised trip, staying in three very nice hotels. All of the management by the local agents was great and the transfers worked perfectly. Late April was a good time to go, with pleasant temperatures for walking without being too warm. The scenery was lovely and there were excellent views from the hotels, especially on Marettimo and at San Vito lo Capo. Walking on Marettimo was particularly enjoyable as it was very peaceful and the air was filled with the smell of the wild rosemary. There was also very good food, especially fish.
Beautiful location, very welcoming family run hotel, great walking area. Level 2 for activity is right but guests should know several walks include long periods of ascent/descent using steps rather than paths. It is very hard on the knees.
The hotel is a good, friendly, little family hotel. It's in a town so the views are more of surrounding buildings than of the distant hills [a top floor room might have been better]. The scenery on the walks is wonderful. Weather in February was mixed. It was a perfect walking temperature but there were a couple of days when there was a fair bit of mist, and one very rainy day. Overall I'm very glad that we went.
Comfortable hotels in prime locations and still the opportunity to hike and walk and have an active yet luxury holiday feel.
The trip was well organised and instructions clear.
The self-guided walking was well planned and suited our levels of ability (a challenge, but a good challenge which allowed us to feel we'd earned our dinner!). Varied itinerary, which added to the enjoyment, and plenty of opportunity to adjust the programme to suit our wishes (for instance, adding a boat trip round Marettimo and snorkeling in the translucent waters).
Provide exactly what you expect and what you hope for. Walks are lovely and well planned and well judged. Everything went smoothly. Hotels were great.
Excellent holiday with efficient service and great transport. Good choice of locations and good walks with good route notes. A very enjoyable holiday.
Amalfi Coast walk was a wonderful holiday, stunning views, passing through olive and lemon groves, watching the locals harvest their olives, accommodation was outstanding with lovely friendly host's felt like part of the family. Enjoyed the days off to wander around the beautiful villages, swim in the sea, perfect. This is our 6th walking holiday with Headwater and we are always impressed with their holidays.
Headwater response:
Dear Miss Reid, thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved your experience; Your positive comments are really appreciated and thank you for taking the time to make them. Hopefully we can look forward to seeing you again on your 7th Headwater holiday.
An excellent walking experience with fabulous food and wine offerings. We came home thoroughly relaxed from this week’s break.
Lovely, varied walking in an unspoilt, lesser known area of Italy. It was good being able to intersperse visits to beautiful villas and the historic city of Padua. The rep, James, was very professional and friendly and very well-organised.
A joy to walk in vineyards, olive groves and wooded areas in anunspoilt untouristified area.
Holiday made perfect by care .commitment and expertise of James . It was very reassuring to have his constant but unobtrusive help throughout our holiday Excellent in every way .Thank you
A good opportunity to see a corner of Sicily that is not often on the tourist trail. Spectacular scenery and pleasant walking, though walks were often quite short in length, there was plenty of interest along the way. Several alternative walks offered at all venues.. Worth combining with a few days in Palermo, for a marked contrast.
Having travelled with Headwater before, we knew what to expect, but this holiday didn't dissapoint. The hotels and restaurants were of a very high standard. We were lucky with the weather which really helped. It was dry and sunny most of the time but not too hot for walking. We on,y got lost once - this was on out first day and probably due to a farmer seeking to discourage use of paths across his land. The instructions for that day may need a quick review. There wasn't really a map to cover everywhere we walked, but we managed with the sketch maps provided and maps covering various parts of the area we walked in. We walked an average of about 7 miles a day and found places for a light lunch which is all we would want after the spreads provided for breakfast. A lovel holiday
This kind of holiday was a first for us, and we loved it. It was great to walk from one place to another and have our luggage moved for us. The hotels were well chosen and comfortable. The area is beautiful and the views from the hotels were lovely. If we were to do this again, we would probably go early summer in order to have more daylight when you can sit outside at the hotels in the evenings and appreciate the views. For the last Walk we did from Teolo to Il Feudo, we chose the longer option but cut it short at the point where you could do so. With hindsight we would probably have preferred the shorter walk on the hard surfaces, as the walk we undertook meant that we were in forest for most of the time with no views at all and the paths were not just steep, but very uneven with lots of loose stones, which meant that we spent more time than we would wish having to concentrate on getting a foothold. Notwithstanding this, we thought it was a great holiday and will look forward to planning another one for next year.
The general standard of the walks, route notes and accommodation made this a very enjoyable holiday. We also used the supplementary guidance notes for things to do and these also proved helpful. The local reps kept us informed as necessary and ensured all arrangements were in order.
This holiday was a wonderful way to enjoy not only the the Amalfi coast but also the villages we walked through in 'real' Amalfi. Paths into countryside abundant with food being grown, not only lemon and olive groves but grapes, tomatoes, kiwi fruits and all sorts of beans and other veg. Staying two nights in every location allowed time to explore these beautiful towns and take a trip to Pompeii. Consider staying in Naples for a couple of extra nights.
An absolutely great walking holiday in truely beautiful part of Italy. Food and wine were fab except for the Michelin restaurant on our first night. The food was strange. We went there because the Michelin restaurant in our hotel was close on Monday nights. A shame as we ate in their bistro on our last night and it was very good. Our reps were excellent and friendly and not intrusive as this was a self guided walking holiday. There were some glitches with a couple of the walks but this was because a farmer had closed and lick a gate and another time the instructions weren’t clear at a confusing junction. However we got to our destinations easily despite some very steep incline to coast into the villages. It would have been helpful when booking to tell us what else there was to do on our days off as this was very limiting by the time we got there. Moving every two days was ok but we felt that at least one move was unnecessary as the walks were all quite close together. Over all an excellent holiday and we would use Headwater/ Exodus again
Go with the itinerary, or do your own thing with flights transfers and accommodation taken care of, its easy and stress free.
An amazing holiday that far exceeded our expectations. Lovely hotel with a great choice of food friendly and welcoming staff. We went on some amazing walks, not too challenging for novice walkers like ourselves. The scenery was simply breath taking and would strongly recommend walking the Valparola Pass, not just for the stunning views but also for its history during WW1. We chose walks provided by Headwater to suit us and made use of the public buses and cable cars.
Wonderful way to see this area of Sicily. Temple of Segesta a highlight. Beautiful inland scenery & fantastic coastline. We had excellent, driver, Nicolas, punctual and safe, also flexible & happy to change itinerary to suit us. We were the only guests to our surprise! Far too hot for 70+ yr olds in early Sept. to walk in Zingaro Reserve. Found shady, rocky beach near Scopello & enjoyed the sandy beach & umbrellas of San Vito Lo Capo. Marettimo was delightful with excellent walks. Beware vertigo on one! Il Veliero - great fish restaurant. Stunning location back on mainland for last two nights. Highly recommend adding on at least 2 days in Palermo.
We had an excellent walking holiday in Piedmont. The accommodation was very good. It was a gastronomic holiday. We would describe half of the meals as gastronomic but others were disappointing. The food in Villa d'Amelia, Benevello was wonderful. We were disappointed, however, with the food in Hotel le Torri, Castiglione Falletto although the local restaurant we ate at, 'L'argaj', was excellent. The local restaurants in Montforte d'Alba were 'rustic' rather than 'gastronomic'. The countryside is beautiful. We really enjoyed the walks even in the high temperatures. Had it rained some of the chalk footpaths would have been very difficult. The walking instructions were very good - there were only a couple of occasions were local farmers had altered the paths or field layout but we managed to work it out. The Headwater reps were fantastic. Although we didn't need to call on them (probably due to the excellent quality of the Headwater set up), we were very confident that they were looking after us ie moving our luggage and checking we were safe and happy. We would certainly consider travelling with Headwater again.
Our first trip with Headwater, and we were very impressed. We liked being in charge of our day (unlike when walking with a group) - we can leave when we like, and walk at our own pace. Walk instructions were (mostly!) very clear, accommodation very comfortable and well-located, with plenty to do on the 'rest' days. Overall organisation good, and all involved very helpful.
Great to see an area on foot with sufficient down time to explore independently.
Stress free baggage transfer between accommodation aiding an enjoyable experience
If you like good food and excellent wine look no further than the Gastronomic Barolo Walk-it ticks all the boxes and was absolutely fabulous .
Excellent in every respect, flight arrangements, hotel transfer, accommodation and route guides.
Excellent hotel which was a great base for a range of amazing walks.
Dobbiaco / Toblach is a lovely small town and a great centre for walking in the Dolomites. Public transport is very good (and runs on time) so it's easy to plan and feel confident of your arrangements - vital when self-guiding. The route notes were very good and we never needed to actually look at the provided maps - though having the routes pre-downloaded on a gps was a godsend, because sometimes there was a plethora of paths in popular places initially going off in similar directions. The suggested timings worked very well for us too, so again we felt confident that we would arrive at various locations on time. The Hotel Bellevue was very good and their packed lunches quite generous, though there were also opportunities to buy lunches in town and most routes had refuges or cafes en route.
Great hotel in a lovely location in the centre of Dobbaccio. Impressive rugged mountain peaks as you walk, with some wonderful traverses, a few tricky ascents and descents and a lot of gravel paths. Only a few of the suggested walks start directly from the hotel so if you don't want to take a bus to start your walks then this may not be the holiday for you. However, the buses are great and they always stick to the timetable so we had no problems. The Tre Cime walk was the highlight. Nemes Alps was next best but we recommend you miss out the last downhill slog (a 600m altitude loss all on a wide gravel 'road') - instead we suggest you either get the bus back from Kreuzberg/Monte Croce Hotel after a hot chocolate at the hotel - it's like thick chocolate sauce! - or do the pass from the Kreuzberg hotel and retrace your steps to the hotel and then get the bus home. Check out the gun turrets at the foot of the mountains during the first half of Nemes Alps walk. Consider researching these before you go - we wish we had.
A great way to see several places in one week in the Sicily area. We could tailor the walks to suit our own needs using the Headwater routes as our starting point. Also it was nice to meet our fellow travellers and spend some socialising time with them
We thoroughly enjoyed the hills. What a relaxing place to go. Everyone we met were very friendly. The hotel staff couldn’t do enough to please us. James the Headwater rep went out of his way to ensure everything went smoothly. The only downside for us was American Express was not accepted at any of the hotels. This was our fourth Headwater walk and I am sure there will be many more.
Beautiful hotels and food. Interesting area to walk. I much enjoyed it. (Although walking instructions not as clear as other holidays I have taken with you ( I found the french maps easier to follow )
This was probably the best holiday we have had with Headwater out of the four we have experienced. One of those was in Tuscany. What we liked was the accurate grade of and types of walks and the well situated hotels - within easy access to the main towns/cities. The first and last hotels - Miramalfi and Continental were accurately starred and very comfortable. The Grand Hotel Continental in particular we found outstanding in quality and service. Our decision to stay another night was the right one as we were able to get round and visit the different sights. We were disappointed with the Hotel California. Although the bedroom was spacious with an excellent view (though the bathroom could have been cleaner) we found the service lacking - a three star hotel with a two star service (the family appeared inexperienced in relation to customer service). There were no lounge areas to relax - we had to spend any time at the hotel in our room. Hotel Punta Campanella was the only hotel were we had half board. We don’t think this was necessary as there were a number of good restaurants close by. Others in the party who stayed at Taverna De Capitano enjoyed the local tavernas at a reasonable cost. We found the restaurant pretentious and the offer of a three course meal was unnecessary. If we were to do this trip again happy to stay in the same hotel without half board package. We did not meet Anna we forgot to attend the meeting. We made contact -she was unable to meet us.
This was our first organised walking holiday from hotel to hotel and we loved it. The pace was relaxed with welcomed days off in between and amazing food and wine. The description of the holiday is accurate. The hotels were very comfortable and beautiful apart from Le Torri. Although the hotel is in a great location, our room was disappointing, very stark and dark.
The walks were very good with length and timing as advertised. The scenery was as described through vineyards, woodlands with at times exceptional views. The notes provided for the walks were on the whole very good and useful however we felt that at times more accurate and or additional information on distance would be useful. The map provided was useful in conjunction with the notes.
All the restaurants we had dinner at were really good, especially Larossa in Alba.
We would highly recommend this trip for anyone who enjoys a more leisurely pace.
This is the first holiday of this type we have done. It won’t be the last! The accommodation was excellent, food amazing and some of the best views we have seen! The area offers a lush, manicured landscape with amazing hilltop villages and a warm welcome from the local people.
The logistics of the trip were superbly organised so that we felt like we had an independent holiday but without the need to worry about making any arrangements! Phaedra and Paul were fantastic- helpful, knowledgeable and easily contactable. All the arrangements they made ran like clockwork and when local taxis were used they were luxurious. The gastronomic aspect was such good value. All the restaurants had been carefully selected and pre booked so there was no need to waste time scrolling through trip advisor and trying to make reservations. Each evening felt different. There was a good mix of high end restaurants and quirky more local establishments. A particular highlight was the castle at Grinzane Cavour! It doesn’t get much better than eating dinner in a Michelin Star establishment at a UNESCO world heritage site! It was a privilege to be there.
Very comfortable place to stay with excellent food great service and wonderful walking
Good walking, some of it reasonably challenging in the heat in a spectacularly beautiful corner of Sicily.
Excellent and efficient transfers made arrangements run smoothly and were a real time saver.
I really enjoyed myself.
A lovely holiday with congenial fellow guests in a beautiful location. Stefano is a welcoming and enthusiastic host, and endeavours to be flexible to his guests' needs and wishes. We would recommend going when it is not as hot - late September or May would be perfect. Our favourite walk was from Castiglioncello del Trinore, through the forest, and we recommend visiting the thermal baths, and paying extra for the spa and the 'emotional showers'!
Hotel Ciasa Salares gave us a genuine mountain welcome. It was sophisticated without being pretentious. The food was of the finest quality and delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The only criticism was that the advertised gym was unavailable twice due to it being booked out for the day by another party.
There was plenty of choice of walks for a week's break.
Excellent walking in fantastic mountain scenery. All walks well signed and directions very good. Bus transport was also reliable and very comfortable so could plan walking easily around the timetables.
Hotel very comfortable, in good location and served excellent meals (choices for main course and starter). Staff were really helpful.
All made for a most enjoyable week in a beautiful location. Plenty more walking than there was time for so would very happily come back for another go.
Where to start? This was a fabulous holiday, so good that we have decided to return next year. The staff are delightful and cannot do enough to help even knowing what to do when confronted with a diabetic hypo. We enjoyed the splendid food, the wine and the ambience. The scenery is breath-taking. At 6000ft up the mountains still tower over the landscape. It really is a beautiful place with many well marked tracks for walking. There are cable cars to transport you to the alpine meadows which was a relief as I would have found the climb up challenging. If you would like a memorable holiday this is the place for you.
This was a fabulous experience - the food, views and staff were all wonderful
Barolo gastronomy self guided tour is an excellent way to see the countryside of the Alba district. Beautiful scenery ,some long walks , with a welcoming Hotel with excellent food options and glorious wine!
We just wanted to thank Headwater for another fantastic holiday experience. We are very grateful to the helpful Headwater team for helping us to put together a 14 day holiday in Venice and the Venetian Hills that combined a 3 night city break in Venice, the 8 day ‘Walking in the Venetian Hills’ walking holiday, followed by 3 days to relax at a nearby Agriturismo with a pool.
All the arrangements went well and we had good support from James, the local Headwater Rep who was helpful and knowledgeable. We travelled during the first two weeks of August and enjoyed excellent weather throughout our stay with daytime temperatures around 28 to 32 degrees.
Venice is such a beautiful and extraordinary city to visit and we had sufficient time to explore the city and visit several of the islands. The beautiful little islands of Torcello and Burano were particularly memorable. Our hotel in Venice, the Hotel Kette, was ideally placed to explore the city, less than 5 minutes walk from San Marco.
The walking tour in the Euganean Hills completely lived up to our expectations. We found the walking notes straightforward and the 1+ activity level for the walks was about right. Often we were walking through wooded hills but we also enjoyed wonderful views of the surrounding Venetian countryside and saw some interesting wild flowers. Please note that carrying plenty of water on the walks is essential.
The accommodation at Cortela was simple, but comfortable and Gabriella made us feel very welcome. The Prosecco produced on their vineyard was delicious! We particularly enjoyed the beautiful little village of Arqua Petrarca and the food and accommodation at hotel Villa del Poeta were excellent. On our rest day there we took the opportunity to walk to the pretty nearby town of Monselice.
The hotel at Galzignano (Belvedere Resort Ai Colli) was very comfortable and our room enjoyed a lovely outside garden area. The food and wine there were excellent. At Teleo we stayed in the B & B Tito Livio in accommodation that was to a very high standard and there are plenty of opportunities to eat at local restaurants in the evening.
For the final part of our holiday, we transferred to a nearby agriturismo, the l’Albara, Villaganzerla. This was a great opportunity to relax and unwind after our walking holiday before returning home. Our room at l’Albara was very comfortable and the pool was lovely set in a pleasant large garden area … a perfect place to read and relax. Everybody was so welcoming there and the food and wine were both excellent. Dinner is served in one sitting on trestle tables (with choices and the offer of second helpings!). The wine produced on their own vineyard is superb, reasonably priced and highly recommended.
We are looking forward to choosing our next Headwater holiday next year!
As usual, very well organised and with first class assistance from the Rep on the ground. The walks were rather more challenging than the rating suggested under 37 degree temperatures. An unusual and interesting location but not one to be recommended for walking at the height of the summer season. This would probably explain why I saw not one other walker on the entire time (though many on bikes). But excellent overall.
I would recommend The Dolomites holiday. Its a very special location for walkers and cyclists. Scenery outstanding, people friendly and accommodating. We stayed in the Park Hotel Bellevue, which was virtually opposite the train station and about 10 mins walk from the main bus terminus. Included in our stay were travel passes for the week on both transport systems and a shuttle pass which conveys you to the start of the Tre Cime walk. There are a myriad of walking/cycling tracks available in the area for both low level and high level jaunts and all are excellently marked and easy to follow. Headwater provided exemplary guide literature and maps to ensure that it was pretty near impossible to get lost. Hotel was well positioned and very comfortable, staff were very friendly and accommodating, but the downside was the hotel opposite, which had live music on 3/4 of the evenings, one of which ended at midnight. Apparently the local district governor approves licences for such events, our hotel manager told us his hands were tied, but, given that this area attracts walkers and cyclists, whom in general want an early night and an early start the next day, this was irritating. Hotel food was indifferent, some lovely pasta dishes, but also undercooked fish (twice) and potatoes and inedible polenta. Breakfast, whilst sufficient for us, lacked variety and the salad starter(evening meal) time consisted predominantly of varieties of leaves, overall though it was acceptable.
Walking in the Dolomites is amazing. The scenery is breath-taking, the wildlife is special and the walks are easy to follow. The detailed instructions on the use of public transport is invaluable.
The holiday was excellent, the walking in the area was great, some challenging but easier options available. The hotel was superb, the staff were very friendly and helpful, food excellent and great facilities.
The location for a walking holiday was excellent. Stefano and Family provide a most welcoming atmosphere for all aspects of your holiday. Stefano provided excellent route guidance, modifications and recommendations. Stefano's passion for local produce and good healthy eating is reflected in a diverse daily menu, which is both very enjoyable and adaptable. This was our first visit to Tuscany, we would highlight recommend this holiday and would most definitely visit again.
great hotel,great location, wonderful holiday
We were only away for eight days but it felt like eight weeks. The walks were wonderful, we never met anyone and reading the notes and hiking the wonderful Eugenian Hills made me clear my brain and relaxed my mind. The locations of the hotels and inns we stayed at were in beautiful surroundings. We would never have found these places had it not been for Headwater's ingenious way of finding them. Having a tour representative is such a good idea. Other walking companies do not offer this.
Headwater response:
Thank you for leaving such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved the wonderful Eugenian Hills. We are proud that we are able to find these hidden gems for our customers to experience and enjoy and it reaffirms the hardwork that the team put in to create these holidays. Hopefully we will be able to welcome you to another Headwater holiday in the future to enjoy as much as this one.
Kind regards
Customer Service.
Great wine and food , great walking and no worries.
This was our eighteenth Headwater holiday and one of the best. We hope to return in the near future.
Excellent holiday that worked really well mainly to the efforts that Stefano has put in to ensure that routes are easy to follow with his electronic guide and the friendliness and helpfullness of his staff and family.
My self guided holiday in the Venetian was a perfect holiday for me, as my friend and I had never been to Italy before. A good introduction the people, food and wine, and of course the region. The itinerary was quite leisurely for us, but really enjoyed it, plenty of time to explore the area on our days off. Public transport is very good and the people very helpful.
The booking and arrangements were overall excellent with good choice of hotels, catering very well for our pescatarian diet. The route instructions were mostly accurate and easy to follow. The local rep was very helpful and knowledgeable. We have now travelled with Headwater on a number of occasions and will happily do so again in future.
Normally would be a great place to stay but currently due to roadworks, traffic is being diverted past the hotel that is making it noisy. Friendly staff, good clean rooms and good food, make it an ideal base. As it is central, with good bus and train service, it is easy to get to all walks.
This was a really excellent trip. There are some beautiful walks in the region with stunning views, and the trip notes are very accurate. The hotel was extremely good, with very friendly staff, nice spa facilities and really impressive food (including the chocolate room!).
Headwater response:
Thank you for such an excellent review. Your positive comments are really appreciated and thank you for taking the time to make them.
Kind regards
Customer Service
The trip was fantastic - we all loved every minute. The luxury (spa, sauna, pool) and meals in our hotel were far beyond our expectations.
The hikes were incredibly scenic and spectacular and much easier than we had imagined (this is not a complaint). All in all heads up to Headwater.
Varied walking from a comfortable base
What is great about this location and this particular hotel is that you can do as much as you want to i.e. stay in your comfort zone; or push your boundaries and cross them, which you will not regret.
The holiday was excellent and we have already recommended to friends. Only one hotel, Villa Beccaris, was not up to standard with poor service (sending us to tourist information when we asked to book a wine tasting after trying to connect to a local vineyard for less than 1 minute) and poor food - they ran out of pastries at about 9am even though breakfast was until 10.30am and they were holding a staff meeting for a future wedding in the breakfast room and one of the chefs glared at us when we entered the room. We want to stress that this didn't spoil the holiday it was just out of kilter with the excellent hotels experienced elsewhere during this holiday. The reps were outstanding, extremely helpful and friendly.
Fantastic scenery, some great hotels and meals.
The views were tremendous from the hikes and our hotels. The hikes were well planned with good directions and all the taxi pick ups and drop offs went smoothly and we really appreciated not having to start our hikes up hill out of the hotels. We also liked the itinerary design of 2 nights at each hotel giving us a chance to rest if we chose to. The first hotel was so lovely that it caused us to feel a bit disappointed by the subsequent ones. All the hotels were quiet at night except the Continental in Sorrento where we were given a room on a noisy square even with an expensive upgrade and a prior request for a quiet room. Amalfi, Positano and Sorrento are beautiful but very busy towns full of people and cars so this is not the walking trip if you want tranquility.
A good variety of brilliant walks. Hotel was really comfortable and food was excellent. Flying to Venice provided a great opportunity to add on a few days there.
Wonderful Island to visit very interesting locations to visit with some good walking but beware in June it is hot and there is very little shade
Enjoyable holiday through beautiful scenery. Stephano and his family could not have been more helpful and friendly
Just like the promotional material says -- discover an overlooked part of Italy. One the whole holiday we only saw one other group of English-speaking tourists, except when we went into Padua. An excellent holiday -- the walks were a bit more challenging than we had been expecting, but manageable, and we were well rewarded with excellent food and wine every night. A very interesting mix of hotels, and each was very comfortable with it's own personality. We very much enjoyed this trip.
We did the Amalfi coast walking holiday in the first week of June. Just about made it before it gets too hot. The hikes in Ravello and Path of Gods were stunning and every bit met and exceeded expectations. Hotel Miramalfi has a brilliant location where our rooms faced the sea and do not miss going to the deck chair platforms by the sea- below the pool. Highly recommend this one.
The three locations offered different aspects of north-west Sicily, and walking descriptions very accurate. Phillipo gave us a great introduction to the area at the briefing, including tips for our extension in Palermo. We enjoyed staying at all three hotels and accommodation was of a high standard, although a little disappointed with the quality of food (breakfast choices were very limited at Marettimo Residence after 8.10 as supplies weren’t refreshed, and the evening meal at Baglio la Luna was not well cooked on the first evening, second was better). The walks on Marettimo are beautiful; Scopello lower walk along the coastal path was extremely crowded so not much fun; we didn’t do the final walk at San Vito as it was too hot and challenging for us based on feedback from others, so spent the day on the beach. The drivers were professional and courteous, giving the opportunity to see Erice and Segesta, and boat travel good. Definitely recommend adding on time in Palermo.
Fabulous walking in by far our favourite part of Sicily - recommend doing the higher level walk in Zingaro. And as for Marettimo, what a discovery. Spectacular scenery and unspoilt. As ever Headwater's arrangements ran like clockwork and the route directions easy to follow. The side trips to Segesta and Erice were a real bonus. The final walk up Monte Monaco was a bit of a disappointment and just a slog up and down in 34C but appreciate it was a last minute alternative because the Monte Cofano route was closed. If it doesn't reopen perhaps other options could be offered. The hotel In Scopello (La Tavernetta ) was excellent and we loved Marettimo Residence which gave us the choice of eating out or stocking up the fridge with local goodies and staying in. The B&B for the final two nights is very isolated and as we are not great fans of set menus and communal dining was not for us. However, there is no denying that Baglio La Luna is quirky and full of character and we were lucky to have a huge sun terrace (room 4!) and our time there did not detract from our enjoyment of the whole trip. Another great holiday with Headwater.
The host Stephano was brilliant in all respects. The breakfast was limited in choice. Evening meal was traditional to the area. Accommodation was a bit basic . Walking was excellent and was able to be adapted to people’s needs. The extras were a treat, eg spa visit, cookery lesson and olive oil lecture.
Excellent accommodations, beautiful hiking trails, and amazing food and wine.
Very pretty walks and interesting culture. I would suggest visiting later in the year rather than late May as the resort areas were not open and the weather was cool and at times very wet. The hotel on Marittimo is not geared up for out of high season use and was cold and rather basic. In hot weather it might be lovely. A lot of restaurants and shops were still closed.
This holiday was as advertised in the brochure. The countryside was beautiful, the food in the hotels was very good (we were given vegetarian options in all the hotels). We appreciated having the rest days which one of our party used to do watercolour painting, whilst others visited nearby towns, including Venice.
Good holiday but probably dependent on the weather as heavy rain will prevent some of the walks through the vineyards etc..
We had a wonderful walking holiday on the Amalfi coast. The hotel's were well chosen for their stunning views, food and comfort. The 2 extra nights in Sorrento ment we had plenty of time to visit Pompeii and enjoy Sorrento. Well done Headwater
Good combination of guided walks and sight seeing. The driver for the transfers was very obliging and helpful.
We have been on a lot of Headwater holidays but this one was the best yet. Superb hotels, wonderful food and lovely walks. Phaedra and Paul deserve a special mention for their charm, efficiency, punctuality and attention to detail.
Excellent walking on spectacular coastline
Excellent holiday which more than met our expectations. Stefano went over and above to make us feel welcome and give accurate and useful information about our walks. The cooking and spa were fun alternatives to walking each day.
Well chosen hotels, in stunning locations. When things went wrong, due to bad weather and hydrofoil cancellation, Headwater Holidays seemlessly organised excellent alternative accommodation and travel plans.
The weather wasnt brilliant because we went in early May. However, we did enjoy the walking, which was a challenge but not too difficult.
We like Headwater
Very interesting walking holiday. Hotel accommodation extremely good.
Stefano and his staff at La Pietriccia did everything to make our holiday successful. We got what we expected, and more! A return trip is called for, but when it's not raining!
Very enjoyable. We were lucky with the weather as although we had one wet and windy night and also a whole day and our ferry back to the mainland was cancelled, the agent managed to adjust itinerary to enable those of us with a later flight on last day still to be able to do everything. Although we missed the spring flowers and possibility of seeing orchids - we had Autumn Heather and Rosemary in flower in abundance on some walks. I did feel that the local agent should have checked on the ferry website that our ferries to and from Marettimo Island were running and been pro-active in telling us what we should do when the ferry was cancelled. Some of us found out by checking the website ourselves but unless you met someone who knew we were left in the dark as the hotel reception didnt let us know and we were all in different parts of the hotel.
Two of us went to Lorenzo island for the day which worked out very well although the coastal walk notes back from the cave to the ferry were poor and misleading. It added to the variety and we were glad we had gone.
Overall a good mix of walking, archaeology and culture and weather not too hot for walking - although we were lucky that the wet and windy spells didnt disrupt our trip more.
A good group of people and it was nice to meet them at some meal times and bump into them sometimes on the walks.
Interesting and varied trip.
Another excellent trip with Headwater, this time to a splendid Agriturismo in Tuscany, with excellent facilities, a great location for walking and superb cooking. Additional features included a cooking lesson one afternoon, a spa visit and a very enjoyable wine/cheese/salumi tasting in town. Thanks to Stefano and his family and friends for a very warm welcome and a most entertaining time!
We enjoyed the holiday immensely thank you.
An excellent holiday all round with superb accommodation and really good food. The countryside is stunning and the walks were very enjoyable.
Well organised, good value, good range of accommodation
A great way to explore a little known corner of this interesting island
Amazing trek, walk of the Gods the highlight, few inaccuracies in the walking notes so make sure you read the map as well
For us this was the perfect combination of quite challenging walks and the opportunity to visit villas, gardens, monasteries en route. The Euganean Hills were a delightful landscape of vineyards ,woods and olive groves. We also particularly enjoyed visiting Vicenza on the way back.
One of our best Headwater experiences. The welcome at the hotel in Montforte was good but when we arrived at the Palazzo there was no one to ask about the lack of tea making facilities so we had to go down to reception in Giardino. It would also be good if the bar at Palazzo opened for drinks rather than being firmly closed
A quiet but attractive area of Northern Italy well worth discovering.
Everything we had hoped for. The selection of location, hotel, routes were all spot on.
All in all a good walking holiday, the walks were all generally very peaceful and unspoilt although they were probably a bit tougher than we anticipated but not excessively so. The welcome briefing at Scopello was very good but unfortunately due to flight arrival times had to be held on the morning of the second day which meant we didn’t start the Zingaro walk until 11am which is a bit late as it gets very hot and there is no shade worth talking of for the first 2-3 hours, that said it’s a great walk.
The accommodation is comfortable enough without being luxurious but is well located and the breakfasts perfectly good.
The side trips to Erice and Segesta were very good, take the cable car up to Erice from Trapani , unforgettable views.
We added 3 days in Palermo to take in the city which is wonderfully atmospheric, recommended way to finish off a lovely trip.
Excellent holiday, food fantastic and Stefano was so enthusiastic about his cooking and the environment
We really enjoyed our self-guided walking holiday in the Dolomites because the possibilities each day were endless. With the hotel as our base and the excellent walking notes we were able to plan a varied programme. Having a bus/train pass and the timetables made planning easy. The local roads up to and above the tree line enabled days of walking amongst the peaks a real pleasure, with rugged, stunning mountain landscapes all around. The footpaths were almost empty and the peace of sitting in a high altitude meadow hearing only the birds and distant cow bells was truly relaxing. In the evenings we enjoyed the company of other self-guided holiday makers. The food at the hotel was excellent and the accommodation excellent. We would wholeheartedly recommend this holiday.
This holiday was a great way to enjoy the Tuscan landscape, food, wine and local people. Really enjoyed the local countryside, villages and towns and came away feeling relaxed, well fed and keen to visit the area again.
Enjoyable and worry free as everything happened exactly inline with the planned agenda
Overall we had a really good week in the Euganean hills; the weather in late September was a bit warmer than we had expected and this made the walking slightly more strenuous and the insects were numerous - take plenty of repellent! The accommodation does vary quite a lot; the Villa Lussana is excellent, everything works and the food and service are all you could hope for. Il Feudo is fairly basic, though the staff are friendly. Villa del Poeta was very good, excellent food and service however they do often host weddings at the weekend which can be noisy. Our least favourite was the Belvedere.
The walking is very good and the directions generally ok though we found having a GPS device useful at times. James our rep was extremely helpful with transfers, advice and updates on routes. There were plenty of suggestions for rest days - our favourite was visiting the Villa di Vescovi from Teolo.....where we were able to use our National Trust cards; the villa is magnificent - but check opening hours as its not open every day.
Enjoyable walking holiday with suitable options provided.
This was our third walking holiday you have organised on our behalf and we have enjoyed all of them. Accommodation has always been good and standards generally very high.
All the drivers/taxis employed were all well turned out, helpful and on time.
A lovely combination of stretching but not impossible walking, lovely unknown countryside, and fine food.
Excellent holiday. Stunning scenery and great walks. Every day seemed to offer something different. Challenging at times but nothing over and above the ratings provided. Excellent, detailed and easy to follow route instructions.
Spectacular part of the world. Excellent walking with very accurate route notes. Hotel was perfect - great service and brilliant food every night, with a great choice of wines ( including local wines). We will definitely return as there are many more walks.
This was an excellent holiday and the 3 days in Marettimo were just THE BEST!
This was a wonderful experience of rural Tuscany in a delightful Agriturismo with fantastic food and staff who made you feel very welcome. Stefano was very helpful in organising our walks and tailoring them to suit all abilities. This was one of our best holidays and we would really recommend this lovely corner of Tuscany.
Flexibility of walks during the week was a real positive. Hot days were catered for by Stefano and option to not walk at all was great. Additional Wine tasting, cooking and Spa gave good variety as well
A glorious experience of real rural Tuscany in every way. The staff made you feel part of the family and Stefano in particular made sure every aspect of the holiday was tailor made for each person. Couldn't have been better.
First time with Headwater, didn't know what to expect , had a fantastic time, thought the moderate title was a little under exaggerated , there were some steep climbs but overall we had a laugh getting lost a few times but always found our way to the next hotel, didn't feel guilty eating all the lovely food and drinking the best procecco as we had earned it. Will be booking again in the future but
With less hills.
Another excellent holiday with Headwater. Our Manager James was one of the best we have experienced with Headwater. Nothing was too much trouble and he provided very useful information at our introductory meeting. Hopefully we will be fit enough to embark on another walking holiday with Headwater in future .
Hotel choice's were all good except for one ( Punta Campanella Resort). The text provided for the hike directions were excellent and we would definitely have got lost without it. All transfer pickup's and baggage delivery between hotels were on time which made the whole trip a absolute pleasure. Overall a well organised holiday which I would highly recommend to anyone wishing to hike the region.
An enjoyable holiday. The weather was marvellous. The accommodation was very comfortable. However, our experience was marred by my wife’s injury. Positano was very busy.
A brilliant service. Absolutely stunning.
The fine detail of choosing the hotels is excellent. Your website is easy to navigate and find fine details of holidays on offer.
I would throughly my reccoment Headwater to anyone wanting a specialist holiday.
This was our first hiking holiday with Headwater and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Despite the changing weather, we were able to choose a suitable hike for each day because of the range of hiking notes supplied by Headwater. The Park Hotel Bellevue was excellent - friendly and helpful staff, comfortable rooms, convenient location (especially for trains and buses) and amazing food. We paired this holiday with a cycling trip (Dolomites to Lake Garda), which started in the adjacent town. This gave us an extra day of hiking as our transfer between hotels took about 10 minutes by taxi. We would highly recommend this holiday.
An amazing holiday exploring a hidden gem surrounded by beautiful vineyards and hazelnut groves. The walking routes were easy to follow a bit like being on a daily treasure hunt and we felt extremely rewarded to be greeted by a range of luxury hotels nestled on sun soaked Italian hills. Most days we managed to cool off in a pool usually with hardly a soul in sight. The gastronomic dinners were simply out of this world full of fresh ingredients and plenty of surprises. The wine, although not cheap, was truly exceptional ... the best we have ever had. This was quite simply the holiday of a lifetime for those who enjoy the finer things in life.
Headwater were very accommodating to us, helping us to arrange our walking holiday to slot in between our plans to visit other areas in the same country during an extended stay. It was all very easy and everything worked very well. The hotel was lovely and in a great location. Our holiday was well organised and we had a very enjoyable time.
Very well organised with comprehensive walking guides and maps, more walking options than days which was good, walking guides may benefit from a diagrammatic form of ascent and descent.
The arrangements, hotels and restaurants were all excellent, with some meals even better than expected, and everything went without a hitch so we had a terrific time.
The Dolomites are a spectacular walking destination and there are a range of different walks on offer. The notes for each are extremely detailed and all information os provided, even down to exactly which bus to take and where to get off. The descriptions en-route are very detailed and the local signage is great. The scenery is superb and the range of walks is excellent - I would definitely recommend this self-guided trip with Headwater to anyone wishing to walk in the Dolomites. Gondolas are an additional cost. Returning to the Parkhotel Bellevue every day is a treat. This family run hotel provides extremely attentive service, the food is quite simply delicious! And relaxing in the spa helps ease those tired muscles or sore feet. If you are thinking of the Dolomites then I would definitely recommend this trip and this hotel. Headwater were extremely helpful in planning our itinerary given we were travelling from different locations and adding on our own independent stay in Italy. It was no hassle to consider the different flight options available to us. All information communicated was detailed, relevant and reliable. Headwater are extremely competent and professional and put together great itineraries.
I thought the hotel was excellent and Dobbiaco was a good base for exploring the north eastern Dolomites. The walks were interesting and well-described. The best walks required public transport which I found to be convenient and reliable though sometimes crowded.
Excellent holiday in beautiful countryside. Even though we walk regularly the walks were on the tough side for two people over 75,! The plus sign after the 1 was obviously very significant! There was however scope for visiting nearby cities or exploring the countryside by bus instead of doing all the walks. We appreciated a short alternative walk for the last day. This holiday was recommended to us by a couple we met on a previous holiday. It took us 3 years before we booked it but were very glad that we eventually did.
We have traveled widely in Europe and further afield with the experiences of this holiday rating as good if not better than any others. Well done Headwater.
Our visit visit to the Dolomites, it won't be our last. Lovely area and first class support all round.
An excellent opportunity to see areas in depth on walks with very good arrangements and comfortable accommodation.
An excellent holiday with all the arrangements working like clockwork. The notes for walks were very well prepared. We had a most enjoyable time.
Outstanding holiday in a part of Italy we've only driven through in the past on the way further south. The walking was not too strenuous, though the temperature and inevitable hill at the end of every day's walking added to the challenge. The hotels and restaurants were all excellent, and local wines helped remove the pains of the days walking. Very friendly staff in all the hotels and restaurants visited.
The reps - Luke and Eleanor - were excellent; very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, adjusting their schedule to fit in with our changing requirements. I came home totally refreshed, half a stone heavier and already looking forward to returning.
This holiday is described as 'gastronomic' and it certainly delivers. The fine food and top quality wine mean that every meal is a delight, although visitors will need to recognise that Barolo and Barbaresco wines have a hefty price tag.
The most relaxing active holidays you can have.
We really enjoyed our walking in Sicily. The notes were clear and good with adequate warnings about some trickier paths to negotiate.
We especially liked our stay on Marettimo as well as the walking there. Filippo was a friendly informative rep from the agency in Palermo and we had excellent help, support and advice from Nicola the local driver who arrived punctually and drove us carefully for all our journeys. One of the best Headwater holidays we have had.
We enjoyed our holiday in the Euganean hills. Even at the end of May/first few days of June, the temperatures were pushing 30 degrees most days, which made the walks a little more demanding than we had expected, but as occasional walkers there was nothing that pushed us too much, however we used walking poles and would not have wanted to be without them. The scenery was magnificent and the views were always worth the effort of any climb.
Accommodation and food was of a good standard, particularly Hotel Villa del Poeta, where Carla and the restaurant staff provided outstanding service to match the excellent food. The only downside to Villa del Poeta is that the restaurant is closed on a Monday and if James hadn’t been kind enough to ferry us to and from the (very good) local restaurant that provided dinner that night, I don’t believe we would have enjoyed the walk back in the dark, as the hotel is a little way outside of town.
A mention should also go to Villa Lussana for excellent comfort, food and hospitality. As others have mentioned it is a pity about the motorbike noise from the cafe opposite, although we were there on a public holiday weekend, so perhaps our experience was not typical.
Route notes were generally very good but it was a pity that the route shown on the map provided was not totally accurate, causing a little doubt and confusion during one of our walks.
Stephano was a wonderful host, couldn't be more welcoming or helpful and we had a wonderful Tuscany experience. Had time to soak up the wild flowers , butterflies and wonderful aroma of the countryside.
This was a most enjoyable holiday. Piedmont is a beautiful area and was especially lovely in May when we visited - all very green and fresh.
We had a fabulous week's walking through vineyards, orchards and hazelnut groves. The scenery is beautiful, the people friendly and welcoming and the food and wine superb. The walking itself was very enjoyable and not too difficult, and there were plenty of places along the way to stop and rest if we wanted to. The walking notes were excellent and our reps, Luke & Eleanor, were brilliant and helpful.
Beautiful hilly countryside and plenty of variety of terrain on the walks. The best Prosecco ever! We recommend an extended stay in Venice.
My wife and I really enjoyed our first Headwater walking holiday. Italy always delivers wherever we go and being steered towards some seriously good dining experiences was excellent. We had a couple of inclement weather days but not really a problem other than the odd bit of mud. The only slight negative was our meal at Villa d’Amelia on the first night was excellent but eight days later we were a little disappointed the menu was repeated and perhaps not quite as well executed. It was still very good though.
Our reps, Luke and Eleanor, went out of their way to ensure we were enjoying ourselves and seemed to enjoy sharing everyone’s feedback. We met several personalities on the way and as such, have made some very good memories. Thank you Headwater and particularly Luke and Nell :)
Headwater were extremely professional. Everything ran smoothly with pick ups, accommodation and trip notes. The trip notes on the Day 3 (Amalfi Coast Walk) which was substituted for the Walk of the Gods (officially closed) were a little confusing and unclear but that is the only complaint we have. The drivers were fantastic always on time and very helpful and friendly with nice clean vehicles.
Headwater is a very professional company to deal with and our holiday more than met our expectations,we enjoyed every minute of our trip to the Amalfi Coast and we look forward to our next Headeater adventure !!
An experience to treasure. Learned about the people and the area; enjoyed seeing how the farm was organised and how the 'slow food'/organic methods benefit the community.
Fantastic local produce including the wines. Walking routes were challenging but offered a real sense of achievement. Such a beautiful, sensuous region. Did not want to leave!
This holiday far exceeded my expectations. The hotels and restaurants were all first class, the scenery spectacular and the walks enjoyable but not too demanding. The Villa Beccaris is possibly the best hotel we've ever stayed in.
A fabulous region to walk and appreciate the countryside, weather, people and location of fairytale castles, sumptuous hotels and Michelin food. Service and attention to detail couldn't be faulted in each hotel and restaurant and knowing the lovely Headwater couple who,looked after us were always on hand if we needed any help.
We had a very enjoyable walking holiday in Northern Italy which was absolutely stunning. The walks were varied and interesting and notes clear.
A very enjoyable holiday walking through beautiful unspoiled countryside with abundant wild flowers and endless lemon groves and olives. The walk descriptions were very detailed, the hotels of a good standard and the transfers punctual with good quality transport. The customer service provided by Headwater was excellent.
We enjoyed the walks and beautiful scenery of this holiday, especially our stay on Marrettimo was a very happy one.
Stephano was an enthusiastic host and made us feel very welcome. He was very keen to please as were the other members of his family who are involved in the farm enterprise. He shared his passion for the region and for local living, telling us all about olive oil, bee keeping and wine making amongst other things and we learned a lot! The walking was excellent and the food was very plentiful and delicious....in fact we had to ask for small portions as we couldn’t keep up with the four courses!
A great holiday!
When a walk had to be changed because of a landslide, both the local agent and people back at Headwater took trouble to get in touch and suggest a new route: very thoughtful.
This is exactly the kind of holiday that we enjoy, with a high degree of freedom to do your own thing and a variety of levels of walking. All of the stress of travel is taken away by extremely good and courteous drivers and advice. The accommodations are always interesting and the evening meals when provided as part of the holiday were delicious.
This holiday provided a wonderful experience of Sicily off the main tourist trail. We found April was a fantastic time as it was early in the tourist season, not too hot and the spring flowers were out. If you want to swim along the way you might want to go in May.
Lovely springtime break with fantastic coastal scenery and wildflowers; plus lemon sorbets.
Beautiful countryside and views and challenging walks. Also a great opportunity to visit the historical sites at Segesta, Erice and Levanzo
Fantastic views. Marittemo an island paradise! Organisation excellent
A great way to experience Sicily and its individuality. The scenery on the walks was breathtaking and we enjoyed the opportunity to visit the caves on Levanzo and see Segesta and Erice.
We have only explored a small corner of Sicily, but were completely bowled over by the scenery. The walks were varied, although be aware that many are stony and require care when descending, but definitely worth it for the views! It was good to have the experience of staying on the mainland and on Marretimo. I would highly recommend the optional trip to Levanzo. .We visited the grotto, which was fascinating and walked back along the coastal path which had some fabulous views. The food was delicious - if you like seafood! Our driver Nikola was incredibly helpful and informative. he even arranged for us to have a day in Castellamare, as our flight was not leaving till late that evening.
Lovely walking - challenging enough without being exhausting - in a delightfully different landscape surrounded by vineyards, orchards, olive groves, farmland and woodland. On one of our free days we enjoyed a splendid day in Padua (travelling by bus from the bus stop two minutes walk from the hotel!) as well as a gentle Saturday morning strolling around the market in Este, punctuated by coffee and lunch stops in the cafes around the Square - so relaxing. We started the holiday with an amazing two day stay in Venice, which made the quiet lanes and wooded paths of the Euganean Hills a wonderful contrast to busy tourist packed streets! Thank you Headwater and well done.
Well-structured walking trails. Civilised, one-day rest days between walks. Good food and wine.
Great experiences that add to your life whilst there and cultural influences to enhance your life when you return home. We have always left wanting more, but not necessarily the same.
It was extremely hard to find fault with anything.
'Excellent ' all round.
Hotel, walks, routes just fantastic.
Fabulous holiday in a perfect location.
A well described holiday in terms of the scenery, walks etc. Particular high points are the chances to visit the gardens of Villa Barbarigo, Villa dei Vescovi and the cities of Padua and Vicenza
Sarah is an outstanding rep. making sure that everything worked smoothly.
Good - we had a great time, the weather was good in the latter part of the week.
Impressed how Headwater central office handled our very, very last minute request to insert us in their North Italy Piedmont Walking tour.
Well planned and important detail given. friendly and helpful advice both here and in Sicily. Need shoes to wear in most coves for swimming. Reserve closed when Sirocco wind is blowing in case of further forest fires.
Voucher for evening meal much appreciated. Great mediterranean food and local wine.
Well thought out walking routes with meticulous notes to ease the way. Individual hotels with character and good service and food. The Representative's briefing was thorough and very helpful.
True Italy! Amazing foods, sumptuous wines, breathtaking scenery and warm welcoming locals. Our excellent guides, Laura and Greg helped us get the most out of our time walking through the Langhe region which we can't recommend highly enough.
'What perfect memories are made of'
Sarah was an excellent rep and we felt like friends from our first meeting. We liked this area very much. The walking was not too challenging, but varied. We can highly recommend Padua by local bus.
The Amalfi coast is an excellent place for fantastic walks, good food and great scenery. Headwater planned a great itinerary with detailed walking instructions. Thank you.
We enjoyed Maretimmo ,although unfortunately were unable to get there as planned because of high winds .There is not much to do in Scopello if you cannot access the Zingaro walks . I would not offer extra nights there .
We had been recommended Headwater by close friends and were not disappointed
We enjoyed the walking and the general ambience of our holiday experience in the Venetin Hills. Sarah, our guide/rep was particularly helpful and patient. She was prompt and attentive. The only thing we would suggest changing is the order of the walking, to do the holiday day in reverse rather than starting with the longest day's walking.
We enjoyed Verona and the walking around Dobbiaco. Dobbiaco is a very good centre to walk out from, with good bus links to different starting points. The Bellevue Hotel is super. This is the second time we have stayed there and we were not disappointed. The one down side is the return via Venice Marco Polo. Once the check in is open ( there was no baggage drop) it is just a procession from one queue to the next.
Some lovely walking in spectacular mountain scenery, staying in a very comfortable hotel full of character. Some walks (and buses) were very busy even at the end of the summer season. Walking notes were excellent (the one exception was on the NemesAlp walk return to Moos where a new (?) ski lift was not mentioned - this caused some confusion to us and others.
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Hickling,
Thank you for taking the time to complete your post-holiday questionnaire. It was great to see you enjoyed the walks and the spectacular mountain scenery.
We would also like to thank you for highlighting the route note discrepancy; we have updated the notes to include the new ski lift, thank you for pointing this out. We are sorry for the confusion this caused you.
In closing, we would like to thank you for travelling with Headwater and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Kind regards,
Lisa
very well organised
Good walking holiday in the Dolomites
This was an excellent holiday - just like our previous 3 Headwater holidays. The staff at the Bellevue were friendly and helpful and the meals were of a very high standard. As well as having a mountain view our room also overlooked the railway but this was not an issue, the trains were very quiet and we were not disturbed by them. The walks were varied and the scenery was outstanding- some stunning 360 degree panaromas and some delightful meadows and pastures complete with some very gentle cattle and their melodic bells. We could easily have spent a few more days here, there was at least one walk we did not have time to do. We took this holiday in late July and we were grateful that we had packed several layers, we needed them as we climbed up to the views and on a couple occassions I regretted not having brought my gloves! Our previous Headwater holidays have been rated as 2 boot and we can see why this holiday was rated as a 2+ boot, however the extra effort was well worth it as the views were exceptional.
Ann and Nigel Carrington Brook
The Barolo is an amazing place with beautiful scenery and excellent food. The locals are very friendly and helpful. The hikes are easy and short compared to other 2 boot holidays we have been on. I think this is necessary because the days start out cool and get very hot by late afternoon. Go in the early spring or late fall if you can, but July wasn't too bad either. Three of us traveling together were from the deep South (USA) and had no problem with the weather or hills. Two of us were from the Midwest (USA) and weren't quite ready for the heat and hills, but had a truly fabulous time being together any way.
There is a huge music festival called 'Collisioni' every July. Sadly we booked during this time without knowing it. It affected which hotels we could stay at and our enjoyment of the village of Barolo. 12,000 people descend on the area during this time. Don't book during the festival! One can expect a hiccup in plans from time to time, but by booking through Headwater, you can rest knowing they will do whatever is possible to take care of you! And they did! Thank you Headwater!! Headwater is the best! For this reason, I look forward to booking our 8th Headwater vacation soon.
Our reps, Greg and Laura, were outstanding giving us lifts as requested from our substitutionary hotels (which were quite nice) into the villages where we would have stayed. Not quite the same experience, but they made it a lovely one. In driving us to and fro, they took us to extra sights and offered to stop and let us take pictures as desired. They were awesome!
An excellent area for a walking holiday. Superb scenery with a well situated hotel. Food is first class.
We had a fabulous time in Piedmont. The hotels were outstanding and the restaurants superb. Being more used to walking in the mountains we hadn't expected to enjoy the route as much but the wave like vine clad hills, pretty villages and lovely views across the Langhe and to the Alps were very satisfying. We can see why the region has been given a UNESCO rating.
Toblach was a pleasant little town and a great location base for walking in those spectacular Dolomites. Hotel Belvue fitted the bill well, with charming , helpful management and staff - though they occasionally seemed a little overstretched at mealtimes; but this is a minor quibble. our 3rd floor room (a suite with balcony and a view up the valley) was excellent. i would go again.
Wonderful walking week (despite the weather on some days!) in a fabulous part of the world.
Friendly helpful and professional.
Fantastic walking in magnificent scenery. Excellent hotel.
Our holiday in the Italian Dolomites was amazing. The hotel accommodation and food were absolutely excellent and the staff helpful and friendly. The walking notes were very accurate and comprehensive and it was very helpful to receive them ahead of time. We found some of the walks challenging but it was very very hot when we were there. Good excuse for a long cold beer when we got back to the hotel though ........... :-) The hotel has a lovely spa but unfortunately we didn't have the time to partake of the facilities.
A magical week exploring this tranquil and refreshingly untouristy area of Italy, with the added bonus of being able to spend city days in Padua and Vicenza. Torn between wanting to tell everybody and wanting to keep it a secret so it remains unspoilt!
Good...as usual. Walking was significantly, though intermittently, above grade one.
Lots of fun and good exercise with a reward of a lovely meal at the end of the day!!
Summary: beautiful area for walking with vineyards, olive groves and wooded hills to explore, totally unspoilt, no tourists and very friendly locals. Interesting villages and nearby historic towns to visit. We would love to return to this little known region.
We are members of a Nordic Walking Group in North London and when we mention that we were considering a walking holiday a couple of the members enthused about Headwater. We are so glad that they did. Really good advice and guidance.
The walking guidance notes were amazing providing every little detail of the walk, much better than any of the maps.
Apart from the very disappointing hotel in Punta Campanelle the accommodation was very good. I would strongly suggest a change of route away from that Hotel, or accommodation in the village immediately before arriving at the coast.
We will definitely look to have a holiday through Headwater again, but we will definitely research the hotels first.
Many thanks
Robin
We didn't receive the trail instructions in advance. Sarah had a spare copy which she updated for us and rearranged our return rail journey to a more friendly time. Since we couldn't get a flight on a standard join day, and the Venice hotel was unavailable we stayed In Venice Mestre for a night. Not a sparkling town. I am not a fan of Venice, but my wife hadn't visited before. The Italians are rebuilding Marco Polo airport and there was heightened security--a modern travel story. The peace, and relaxed way of life in the Euganean Hills plus a very good rep made the holiday.
Excellent Experience. Charming area. Very unspoilt - had a real italian feel.
Quiet, sunshine, heat, beautiful countryside and small towns - wildflowers and birds, hills, views - good food, good local wines, friendly people all in a hidden corner of Italy. What's not to like? It was a real treat.
A very well thought out itinerary, with great walking in National Parks and on a peaceful Island. The hotels were lovely and the staff helpful. Transport between the hotels and to the start of our walks as well as for sightseeing all worked like clockwork.
Walking is a great way to see a country. Headwater, make the experience easy by removing the hassle of booking hotels and moving bags around. The local information is good and maps walks are generally pretty god.
Stayed in some delightful places, especially Baglio La Luna where the location was magnificent, views, relaxing areas and we were so well looked after. Changes in arrangement occasioned by bad weather were efficiently and effectively carried out. All arrangements for meeting and dropping us off worked well, pleasantly and without fuss.
We thoroughly enjoyed the Secrets of Sicily Walking holiday in early May 2017 which certainly reached all our expectations. The hotels we stayed at were all very well chosen and we particularly enjoyed the Marettimo Residence and the Baglio Luna at San Vito lo Capo which was fantastic. All the arrangements went well and the walks we did were lovely and easy to follow using the excellent detailed notes provided. We saw so many lovely wild flowers and birds and the views were wonderful. Overall we would have no hesitation recommending Headwater walking holidays and we are looking forward to choosing another of their walking holidays next year.
This was a beautifully organised and well balanced holiday. Plenty of variety and choice, especially the walks. The weather in that first week in May was perfect for walking, warm and sunny with a cooling sea breeze. The highlight for us was the walk in the Zingaro National Park where we saw eight different wild orchids. And the little square in Scopello was so nice to sit in with a beer and watch the world go by.
Marettimo was delightful. We loved our accommodation which had a terrace overlooking the olive trees and gardens and got the evening sun. The little town was interesting, the restaurants were varied and the fish delicious.
By the time we got to the Baglio la Lune, our last stop, we were totally relaxed and happy to gaze at the setting sun in the evening after our supper on the terrace.
.Although each place we stayed was very different, they were quite close geographically, which helped us to orientate ourselves and kept travelling to a minimum. Our driver was utterly charming, always reassuringly early and very helpful. Thank you Headwater.
Fantastic holiday. Walking and talking with friends in spectacular scenery is a truly great experience. The whole trip was seamlessly organised and and executed by Nicola and his local team.
Very good indeed and very well organised but as we're we're the last week of the season many restaurants and bars were shut particularly on marritimo- I think we should have been told about this. Other than that an excellent holiday.
Accommodation varied.... food in restaurant in Scopello great. Food at La Luna great.
As was very end of the season nothing was open on Marretimo. There were 2 restaurants which only sold fish so not much choice.
Walks were fantastic. Apartment basic but functional...good breakfasts.
The 2 taxi drivers were first rate, very good English, helpful and informative.
Nothing to worry about, great accommodation in wonderful locations,excellent walks
A good week in the north-west corner of Sicily. The holiday cleverly combined walking (and swimming) in the Zingaro nature reserve and on the island of Marettimo with visits to the archaeological site at Segesta and the hill-top town of Erice. Transfers for our group of six were provided by our helpful and informative taxi driver, who made sure that we enjoyed our visit to the area.
Good value for money. Lovely walking. Beautiful island.
Very enjoyable holiday in a lovely part of Sicily. Perhaps we should have gone in April/May rather than October to see the wild flowers particularly the orchids on Marettimo. Several days were rather hot for the walking! Not such a variety of bird life as expected but there were a very large numberof robins on Mareettimo - not sure why! Good hotels and, in particular, Daniela was very welcoming and looked after us well, with good food, at the Baglio La Luna. Flights via Rome meant leaving at 3am on the way out and 4am on the way back. Good service from the local reps and Niccolo was a very careful and attentive driver who gave us good advice and made sure we had the right instructions and departure gate for the hydrofoil to Marettimo.
Great to see a less explored side of Sicily.
The scenery at the destination was absolutely spectacular and will remain in our minds for a very long time - starting with the view from our hotel room!
An absolute must holiday for anyone who likes to have just the right amount of exhaustion, excitement and adrenalin in one day, with the facilities to relax and recoup overnight at the hotel, ready to do it all again the next day!
Being provided with maps and suggested walks before our holiday started meant we made the very best use of our time. Definitely had a WOW factor holiday
This was a great way to explore the Euganean Hills , we travelled in late September and the weather was perfect for walking. The holiday is a great combination of walking and rest days and our rep ,Sarah, had plenty of good advice on what to see and do.
We really enjoyed the holiday, the scenery was amazing. Our hotel the Bellevue was comfortablle and clean, the staff friendly and helpful but not a lot to do on an evening, we sought out a couple of places in the town towards the end of the week but as we were on holiday right at the end of the season it was very quiet. The menu choice didn't have a great deal of variety/choice and did forgo the evening meal on some nights or went out beforehand as we has walked all day and we're quite hungry! (We are slightly buillt but did feel on some nights that we were stilll hungry).
The spa in the hotel was lovely and we did use the pool and steam rooms but only on one evening when we returned early enough to use the facilities before dinner.
The walking guides and maps were very helpful an on the whole accurate, some of the gradings for the difficulty of the walkes were not accurate some walkes described as Two boots had long or steep inclines and descents on rough ground and I did feel a little mis guided on one or two occasions but the views from the top soon made you forget asbout the effort it had taken.
The arrangements made at our request worked really well and the flights and transfers were efficient and convenient.
A lovely holiday just a little too quiet on an evening.
Very enjoyable holiday overall, staying in good quality hotels. We did find some of the walking a bit more challenging than we had anticipated. It rained on the day we did the Path of the Gods which made it slippery and therefore extra care needed to be taken. We were warned about the 1,000 plus steps down to Positano but maybe more warning about the descent to Marina del Cantone would be helpful for future walkers.
The guidance notes were very accurate on the whole with one or two minor errors. We didn't get lost.
The taxi drivers were all very pleasant and punctual and we had no problems. Our only criticism is that we were not contacted by a local rep. at all. This may have been because we were slightly delayed on arrival ( only half an hour). We also had to confirm our final taxi pick-up ourselves (via the hotel) as this hadn't been communicated to us in advance- a slight worry on the day before we were leaving.
This was our second time with Headwater. We really enjoyed our holiday. The walks were well chosen and so were the towns where we stayed. The Amalfi coast is stunningly beautuful. Some of the popular walks can get a bit busy - there seemed to be a lot of Americans everywhere. We stayed in 4 different hotels and they were all different in character. The highlight was La Conca del Sogno, a family run hotel in a cove with a beach. Would certainly recommend this holiday.
Our holiday experience was fantastic! We loved walking in the mountains and hearing the sound of cow bells everywhere we went. It was easy to get around on the buses and trains, and the mountain trails were varied and interesting. The lakes were a beautiful colour, and the scenery was stunning wherever we went. The food in the hotel was outstanding, with a 5 course dinner offered on each night of our stay. The hotel's spa facilities were also excellent. I had anticipated a busy hotel with lots of Headwater customers, but apart from me and my friend there were only a few other hotel guests. This meant that the dining room was very quiet and lacked a bit of atmosphere, but the staff were very attentive and looked after us really well. I would definitely recommend the Dolomites to anyone who loves to walk amongst stunning scenery. The most popular trails are obviously busy with other visitors, but it is easy to find quiet routes and paths as there are so many walks to choose from.
Great hotels, exquisite dinners, well-described walks
Overall an excellent holiday with good accommodation and choice of walking routes
Beautiful verdant area to walk in. Fantastic views. Lots of options for rest days.
While this walk was quite challenging in places, partly because of the high temperatures in early September, it was thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying. It was very well planned and the gastronomic aspects were excellent and exceeded our expectations. This is a much under-rated part of Italy and very well worth exploring. The views, the wine and the food are outstanding.
You will not find a better hotel than the Bellevue at Dobbiaco and the excellent local bus and train services give you access to some of the most spectacular areas and walks in the Dolomites
Amazing food, a warm welcome and wonderful hill top towns and rolling scenery worthy of an Unesco designation.
Superb holiday that we thoroughly enjoyed! It rained quite a bit - but don't let that put you off. The scenery is marvellous; out of this world in some places - especially the Dolomites with their marvellously jagged mountains and stunning turquoise lakes. The Drei Zimmen/Tre Cime trail is magnificent and certainly worth saving to last! The hotel accommodation was truly superb with a leisurely 5-course meal routinely included. Too good for us, I have to say! Not many British families in this area. Keep it quiet... do they know what they are missing?
We had a very good relaxed holiday, with Sarah giving alternative choices and lifts on days that were too hot to walk the whole distance
Sarah is an exceptionally good rep
Thankyou
Please provide guests with bus stop information in Alba - we walked down to Gallo from Grinzane and easily took a bus there, but weren't sure where to stand, which bus stop, on the way back.... So missed the bus when it did come. Also the air-con on the top floor in Villa Pavesi needs attention! A beautiful room under the eaves, but boiling hot!
Dobbiaco was a super location as a base for walking. The walks were well detailed and accurate and the views during the walks were quite stunning.
This was our second holiday with Headwater. The first was a group walk about 7 years ago in Tuscany which was outstanding. The hotels, the reps and the food were just as good this time, but the walking was disappointing. The walks were very isolated and much of the time either through boring woodland which all looks the same or vineyards, which also all look the same. I am a teacher and therefore have to holiday during School holidays. Unfortunately we could not find group walks to suit during this period.
One complaint is that in all the hotels we stayed at we were allocated the worst rooms in the hotel by any standards. In Villa Beccaris, for example, we were the nearest room to the tradesmen's entrance. At Hotel Le Torri there was no air conditioning so needed windows open all night. We were given a room facing the street and were woken up very early by traffic noise. No balcony either.
It is worth it! Take up all the advice provided by your reps and live a little!
The quality and variety of walking was stimulating and typified the beauty of the area. I travelled in early July and the flower meadows were among the most abundant I have seen in Europe. The hotel offered well cooked and interesting menus (excellent pasta) and a good accompanying wine list, with friendly, helpful staff.
Wonderful high level walking with dramatic views and an amazing variety of wild flowers during the day, and a very comfortable hotel with superb food in the evening.
The walk notes were very good, although some local information with them would have improved the experience. There was 1 mistake we found for the Strudelkopf walk where after leaving the Hotel Hohe Gaisl you reach a stream '...after just 350m' should read '...after just 35m'. This caused confusion as the official path has been diverted - correct per the notes (but the old one/route being shown on the map) and the old one/junction is 350m from this point!!
If you want a very fine single-centre walking holiday in stunning mountain scenery then Headwater's Dolomites experience in the Southern Tyrol is perfect: varied, stimulating, hard work and very satisfying. As well as the glory of the mountains, the flower-strewn alpine pastures are a botanist's heaven.
A marvellous combination of: exercise and relaxation in wonderful locations, staying in top hotels with everything superbly organised.
Generally, very enjoyable - superb part of the world to explore; ideal time of year (our trip was not peak season); great to burn some calories during the day, then enjoy some fine food and drink in the evening; good mix of like-minded people.
Well organised and great routes. Accommodation usually gives more of a local flavour than big anonymous chains.
A perfect way to enjoy the splendours of the Amalfi Coast from a perspective impossible for holidaymakers tied to the roads. The routes were planned so that each day's walking was different - from rugged cliff paths and breathtaking coastal scenery to peaceful lemon and olive groves and friendly villages. While this holiday does not have the same amount of walking we have had previously, we welcomed the days off as an opportunity to catch the ferry over to Capri and visit Pompeii and Herculaneum. All our 'standard' rooms at Amalfi, Positano and Marina del Cantone had wonderful sea views. We upgraded to be sure of a sea view in Sorrento and were booked in to the fabulous Belair Hotel - would really recommend this - and indeed the whole holiday.
Another excellent self-guided walking holiday from Headwater. Everything was up to the very high standards we expect from them. The entire 8-day holiday was a delight including the visits we chose (Padova, Monselice) on our days off. We chose to walk the suggested options for our last day off. The weather was poor but we had a fabulous 'extra' day of walking.
This area of the Vento is so beautiful and the walking around the Euganean Hills was terrific. Sarah our lovely rep was superb. Thank you Headwater.
The walks are strenuus enough that we felt a glow of achievement on finishing each one, but not so difficult that we sruggled as occasional hikers. The mix of agriculture and woodland walking surrounded by birdsong is wonderful.
Adding an extra 3 nights in Venice staying at the Hotel Kette made the whole holiday one to remember for many years.
Great holiday with truly excellent food and accommodation! You really should take the detour to Novello Junction on day 6.
we were disappointed, Some of the walking was below expectations, there seemed to be a lack of continuity and some of the food left much to be desired. The catalogue entry was a bit ambiguous.
What a great way to see the Amalfi/Sorrento peninsula. The walks take you through stunning scenery away from the roads - areas that you would definitely not see from a car or a bus. The Walk along the Path of the Gods is breath taking. You also get the opportunity to see a wonderful array of colourful wild flowers. Don't miss Ravello and the two villas with their stunning gardens. The walk back to Amalfi from Ravello is very interesting for its industrial archaeology.
The Capodimonte and Luna Convento Hotels were particularly luxurious and we had great sea views. The food in both was very good with plenty of choices.
We had booked 2 extra nights in the Capodimonte and were told before leaving the UK that we had half board on one of the nights so we were delighted to find that in fact the price we had paid included dinner on all four nights.
Pompei and Heraculeum are very interesting and a must. If you are going to see them by train from Sorrento, it is a good idea to go early afternoon rather than morning as the trains and the sites are less busy then.
Headwater take note:that we did see a snake crossing the path before Massa Lubrense. My husband said it was only about 2 feet long but I think it was more like 6 feet!! It was jet black. The internet says that this type is completely harmless and in fact is a good garden aid as they eat pests.
If visiting Massa Lubrense on your way to Sorrento, it is worth walking right down from the main square to the terrace overlooking the sea and going down the steps to the restaurant 'Il Cantuccio'. It serves great food in a shaded terrace adorned with colourful flowers and with wonderful views of the sea and Capri.
All in all - what a great holiday!
Janet Hewson 31 May 2016
We had tried to book this particular holiday in previous years but the dates didn't work out. It was well worth the wait as it has to be one of our best Headwater holidays - and we've had quite a few. Piedmont is a wonderful place to visit, the walking was as expected - it's a hilly place! The hotels were all good and all had their own special elements. We enjoyed eating in different places each night- and what an excellent standard of food was on offer.
Splendid trip - delightful area, some very well-selected places to stay and eat and excellent logistics from our two guides, who were great fun to be with. This holiday really delivered what was promised on the website and is a great way to explore the area.
It was great to have such a complete break and while we didn't it the support available from the rep it was reassuring to know that assistance was only a call away. We particularly enjoyed moving on from town to town and having the rest day in between walkis created a great deal of variety as we got to see other towns. We particularly liked Villa Lussana and the food was really good there - it was also the first walk we didn't get lost on so there was a great sense of achievement in arriving there!
Overall very good - excellent walks with very often a choice to extend or reduce length/difficulty. We found most of the walks easier than we expected but maybe that is our own walking experience here in the UK (Dartmoor)
Accommodation good although the beds were cold and seemed damp at our last stop - maybe a problem with being at the beginning of the season while temperatures were still low.
Out taxi driver was excellent, courteous, helpful and always on time.
A really interesting week in beautiful locations. On the walks we enjoyed the wonderful wildflowers, birds and butterflies and beautiful coastal views. We much appreciated the visits that had been arranged to Segesta and Erice - full of interest. Nicola, our taxi driver, was really excellent - friendly, offering information and always on time and very well organised. The walking was great, well off the beaten track but on reasonable footpaths - all in all, a very good week.
VERY well organised. HIGHLY efficient. Excellent hotels. Hard to beat
Hotels selected were superb (a higher standard than we would normally select for ourselves - that is one of the real pleasures of travelling with Headwater). Pick ups and tranfers were seamless and enjoyable - it was a delight to hear the drivers laugh! Food through out was excellent. Check out board arrangements - Grand Hotel Capodimonte actually provided half board for the duration of the stay (and not just the first night!) and this included a free salad buffet every evenning. Towards the end of the first day walk from Ravello to Amalfi (after the ruined foundry) there is a restored warehouse called Agricola Fore Porte converted to a restaurant/cafe where you can drink fresh lemon juice - a delightful family run business witha multi lingual daughter. Well done Headwater another excellent holiday!
It was really great because we made it so. Headwater played very little part. The last walk was inadequately replaced with no warning or alternative. The second hotel was silly. You did not get a proper breakfast you had to pay extra. It was not to the standard of the other hotels was a strange choice. At the 3rd hotel there was nothing to do. We could not walk due to the weather. So this too was a strange choice. There were no reps what so ever. It did seem very expensive for what was provided. The taxi company used was excellent we were lucky to have the same driver 3 times. He really was wonderful with lots of recommendations for us. His name was neillo please pass on our regards.
An excellent holiday if you are interested in spring flowers and migrant birds. The island of Marettimo was the highlight as was the stay in the tranquil and delightful Baglio La Luna. Our Taxi driver was particularly helpful,flexible, informative and friendly, and always came on time. The flight times could have been better - we had a 4 hour wait in Rome. However I think this could not be avoided. Our highlight was 3 new orchids we had not come across before. All the walks took us much longer than the notes indicated as we spent so much time looking at the amazing flora or this lovely island.
If you go to Sicily with Headwater
You will find they have done all they oughter
You can swim, you can walk
You can eat or just talk
Your holiday will be just what you boughter.
We very much enjoyed our holiday. The walking part was not as good as many we've experienced with other companies. This was partly because of its discontinuous nature - walking the Vermillion Coast with Sherpa gave us a full, continuous walk from the start in Colliure to the end at Cadaques. And apart from the 'Path of the Gods' and the walk from Ravello through the valley with the old iron works and paper mills, it was, in parts fairly mundane, particularly the last section to Sorrento. Our extension enabled us to see Herculaneum and Pompeii, and climb to the top of Vesuvius. We also took trips to Capri and to Napoli. So, all-in-all, the holiday was a great success. However, we would have been prepared to pay more for something that was slightly more interesting - better walks and better hotels. Having said that, the Luna Conventa was magnificent! Although the Capodimonte was very good in most areas, many English people we spoke to thought the quality of the dinner very disappointing.
Can't speak too highly of Sarah - Headwater is fortunate to have someone with such high standards, thoughtfulness and warm personality.. She was very attentive and concerned about a couple on the cycling holiday,one of whom had sustained an eye injury while cycling.
Villa Lusanna was particularly good in terms of welcome, food and friendliness.
Some years ago we did the walking in the Loire valley holiday. The standard of food, accomodation and route notes were much better in the Venetian Hills holiday. .
Transfers were seamless - friendly drivers and always on time. Good variety of locations and hotels. We feel that we saw most of the Amalfi and Sorrentine peninsular because of the walks organised for us. And probably saw a lot of places normally not seen. We were a little disappointed that we were the only Headwater clients that week but it was apparently at the end of the holiday season. The weather although warm was unpredictable at times and we had one very wet day on which we had to abandon our walk halfway and catch a bus to our next hotel. The food arranged was varied and delicious. Sorrento was an ideal base from which to visit Capri and explore the historical sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum amongst others. We had an and extra couple of days at the Grand Capidimonte hotel which was in a good location to walk down to Sorrento and was the perfect place to end our holiday, it was excellent in every respect.
A good holiday with great scenery and enjoyable walks. A notable absence of birds in the Zingaro Nature Reserve (October) but the vegetation was still very green, despite the heat .
Lovely area, very peaceful with enjoyable walking. Great to visit Padua on our rest day. Added on a day and night in Venice at the end of the holiday which would highly recommend.
Our holiday was the perfect combination of supported and independent: you do have to be prepared to sort out a lot of things for yourself, which we really like. Yet, Sarah was always available if we needed help. The itinerary was thoughtful and had great variety every day. We got a lot of satisfaction from completing all the suggested walks. Our rest days were extremely busy days as there is lots to do in the region - we enjoyed the chance to have these days to explore and do something different.
Superb - staff & food at Hotel unsurpassable. Italian Maps not up to OS Standard (no surprise there!). You should have noted the new (2014) skilift available to take walkers down from Klammbachhutte (or a 20 min walk from Klammbachhutte) saving 4km of descent out of 5.6km.
Mountain Hut food was way higher in standard than we expected
Brilliant Holiday!
Headwater Holidays always provide excellent care and services, and value for money vacaions is well chosen resorts and hotels. The only thing left to chance is the weather.
Disappointing
Most enjoyable holiday which was well organised. Hotels were just right for our requirements. Our minibus driver Nicola was superb - always on time and nothing was too much trouble.
Temperatures up to 39 degrees were a bit of a shock in mid September which meant some of the walks were very testing when there was a lack of shade.
We greatly enjoyed our holiday and got to experience a wonderful part of Sicily, including the beautiful Marettimo Island. The only problem we encountered was that for the first 4 days there was a strong Sirocco wind which meant that the Zingaro reserve was closed, so that we couldn't do the suggested walk on our first day. It would have been nice to have had an alternative offered to us either by your local agent or the hotel. We were also worried what would happen if the ferry back from Marettimo was cancelled (we weren't given any info on this, yet it seems to be a common occurrence) - but in the event this wasn't needed.
well organised travel. route descriptions were accurate and easy to follow. beautiful scenery and well away from the crowds
A wonderful opportunity to have a 'safe adventure!'. Euganian Hills are a beautiful, unspoilt area to explore, the vineyards and olive groves were a delight, and the views amazing.
It was the first time for us with Headwater so we were slightly apprehensive but everything was excellent but mostly the choice of hotel. We are now looking forward to our next Headwater holiday to Gozo which is already booked.
We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday, albeit the weather was a little disappointing. The accommodation was excellent, and the food outstanding. We did not feel that the walking route instructions were as clear or as accurate as those on our 2 previous holidays with Headwater, but no harm done! Would definitely recommend to like minded friends.
A good holiday we both enjoyed. The hotels were in great locations, most with fantastic balcony views. Transfer between hotels was prompt in clean modern vehicles. The walks came with good route plans, occasional misleading directions, but no great dramas. Went through some fantastic small villages and great views, especially the walk of the gods.
Excellent experience - very well organised and delivered. All the walking notes were accurate and easy to follow. The hotel is ideally located to access a wide range of excellent and beautiful walks
Excellent with wide range of walks accurately described and graded. Very good hotel with delicious food and very helpful staff.
We usually travel independently but found that Headwater offered a hotel package more cheaply than we could buy ourselves and there was the additional benefit of the route notes which were excellent. My husband is the navigator of our team, but having tried Headwater, if I ever needed to travel on my own, I would be confident about using their notes and routes which were exceptional. We went to the Dolomites and had superb weather which made for a stunning holiday with plenty of walks to choose from. I would certainly use Headwater again.
You enabled us to visit a part of Sicily we could not have done on our own. The area was beautiful, the walks good and we enjoyed the company of fellow travellers. Thank you
difficult to fault,made by extreme helpfulness from local agent,Liberata
Excellent except for Marco Polo, slightly long transfer. The area was beautiful walking very good for all abilities.
The Park Bellevue hotel was an excellent walking and cycling base in terms of its location, the options available and the standard and service of the hotel and its team. The local bus and rail transport and connections were frequent and very reliable and the provided Mobil card was fully utilised. The walks suggested in the holiday pack provided ample options for all abilities and the enclosed maps coupled with the standard of signing in the Dolomites showed there was much more to try if needed. A great holiday, helped by wall to wall sunshine for the first 4 days!
Dolomites and Venice were spectacular
Great Holiday. Some amazing Italian meals.
Excellent holiday; fantastic hotel - which would it seems would be hard to book into directly (unless doing so a couple of years ahead). Used Headwater 3 times now which I would not have done if I did not regard them as a good company.
Having taken 6 walking holidays through yourselves and Inntravel in the French Alps, Swiss Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites, this holiday is the favourite of them all for both my wife and I.
This was a new region for us which offered a good variety of terrain and landscapes. The unexpectedness and beauty revealed as each walk progressed made this a gem of a holiday. Would definitely recommend whole heartedly.
This was such a memorable holiday that we will always remember. The countryside is stunning and the walks allow you to take in some superb views of the hilltop villages and vines. Each hotel was excellent, with either amazing views at breakfast, or a welcoming pool or superb menus. The evening meals were an experience in themselves. We are not food buffs in any shape or form but I don't think we have ever eaten so well before in our lives. The walks can be challenging at times although in late July we were setting off with the temperature in the mid 20s which reached the mid to high 30s in the afternoon (take plenty of water bottles!). If you like walking, fine wine and superb food this is the holiday for you.
you get to some amazing places using well marked parks and good public transport one of the best walking experiences in Europe
Excellent holiday based in a perfect location for walking. Local transport facilities (bus/train) were first class
Hotel staff excellent. Train noise bad in rooms.
This is an excellent hikers holiday with well described routes and terrific scenery. On return the hotel and its chef is first class in providing the ideal evening.
A beautiful but very popular and busy part of Italy. Seeing it by means of a walking holiday is an excellent way of minimising the experience of crowds and seeing parts that most tourists do not see. Many of the views are spectacular and some of the foot paths are not to be missed. The end of June is a hot time and walkers need to be able to cope with that. All of the hotels provided typically friendly Italian service.
The walking and travelling around the Dolomites was excellent. Unfortunately neither hotel was situated in a quiet location and mosy
y nights we were disturbed. In Toblach there were open air rock music festivals opposite the hotel on the first two nights and on the third night the railway company decided to carry out maintenance till 5am outside our room. We also had two days of gunfire from the nearby military firing range. The hotel room and service/food were,however, excellent.
Our room in Venice was situated overlooking the alleyway leading to the hotel. This was full of people all night and we did not get much sleep. The room itself was very comfortable and the staff very helpful.
An excellent holiday that exceeded our expectations in a fabulous mountainous environment. Accommodation was superb.
Very good indeed. Great location; walks sufficiently (but not too) challenging. Great food. Sometimes bus service arrangements to walk start end points a bit fiddly (we were put off from one of them by this). Easyjet baggage drop and general service at Venice airport (as distinct from the flights themselves which were fine) very poor.
Easy to use and inviting
I seem to have ticked 'excellent' just about every question; the reason being that we have rated this holiday amongst the best FIVE we have done in the last 18 or so years. The description 'Gastronomic Walk' just does not do the holiday justice....'MICHELIN' should be added!
We like the freedom of walking independently with excellent meals at the end of the day and the convenience of the luggage being transported between hotels.
We walked through a beautiful quiet unknown part of Italy meeting friendly people in small hotels and rural towns and felt welcomed everywhere.
Marvellous scenery, excellent hotel, notes and route signing very good.
Excellent location and region for walking. Maps and route notes provided were really useful and accurate. Hotel was comfortable and clean with excellent food and a good wellness area which was not used at all by other guests at the time we were there. This was a bonus for us. As we were early in the season, suggested walks were not crowded but we are sure at peak times things could be different. Overall we had a great holiday and will use Headwater again for another similar trip.
Excellent walking area with a wide variety of routes. We made great use of the local travel card included in our holiday which allowed us unlimited travel on both buses and trains anywhere throughout the Bolzano province.
A really relaxing and enjoyable holiday giving us the opportunity to visit some lovely areas of Italy.
The Headwater representative was well informed and really helpful allowing us to enjoy our holiday to the full.
It was a brilliant holiday - everything was well organised and went according to plan. The scenery was superb, the walks were more challenging than expected because of the extremely hot weather (38F one day!) but loads of shade and wonderful views helped us through. Our local rep was brilliant and there was more than enough information from Headwater for us to find interesting things to do on our rest days. All the accommodation was good but Villa Lussana was a holiday highlight. Thoroughly memorable. Thank you!
This was our first visit to Sicily and we thought the Secrets of Sicily programme gave a fantastic introduction to the relatively unknown northwest of the island. We very much appreciated the inclusion of visits to Segesta and Erice en route to our second and third destinations.The great highlight was the walk, on the final full day, around Monte Cofano.
Great holiday very much as described, good hotel, great food, nice walks.
Accommodation etc extremely good. Hilltop villages attractive although deserted.
The walking through vineyards does become a little repetitive, but last day walking through woods was more interesting.
Good holiday which did exactly as stated. Good food, good wines and walks mainly through vines. Lovely area and villages.
I have been travelling regularly with Headwater for many years. This holiday certainly came up to expectations and I can recommend it wholeheartedly, it was one of the best. Rachel and Peter (our reps) were extremely helpful, always positive and cheerful, a great bonus; the temperature was higher than we had expected for the first week in June, hovering around 30'C and we were able to shorten our walks thanks to their efforts. The hotels were very spacious and comfortable and the food and wine were excellent, truly a gastronomic feast, apart from one restaurant which didn't match the high standard set by the rest of this holiday. Overall this was a great holiday.
Fabulous combination of hard exercise, exploration, good food and wine.
All the arrangements worked well, the route guides were, with one or two minor wrinkles, very clear and accurate, the maps and information were good, the drivers always turned up on time. The hotel in Sorrento was very centrally placed and convenient for the train station and the ferry terminal, which was important to us.
Beautiful area for walking and excellent food and wine.
This holiday took us to a lovely area that we'd never have known about if we'd not come across it through the Headwater website.We wondered how we'd cope with our first mobile holiday, but it all went so smoothly that we had no problems; rather, we found it interesting to stay in 6 very different hotels in 9 nights! Having read other comments and seen the weather forecast, we went prepared for all conditions. Yes, it rained a bit, but it was warm rain without wind - nothing like the Scottish variety and we were lent a giant Italian umbrella in Este for our visit to the market and the rest of this lovely wee town. Because of the Giro d'Italia our first [non walking] day was a bit disrupted but Sarah was able to drop us off in Téolo to see the race [and it's vast entourage] go by. As my husband is a very keen cyclist who normally watches this on TV at home, this was a real treat and much appreciated. We also appreciated that one of her first acts on collecting us from Vicenza station was to offer us each a bottle of chilled water.
The holiday exceeded our expectations. Our rep, Sarah, was extremely helpful and friendly. We enjoyed discovering this beautiful part of Italy.
We all thoroughly enjoyed this well constructed, luxurious walking holiday. Piedmont is a stunning region with few tourists and the best food and wine we have ever tasted throughout Italy. The hotels, restaurants and walks selected exemplified the high quality of the area and overall was excellent value for money.
Thank you so much to Pete and Rachel - they couldn't do enough to make sure our holiday went smoothly and were so enthusiastic and friendly.
The advertised holiday - gastronomic Barolo walk - sounded rather grand, but appealed as a special birthday present - a walk between nice restaurants in a pleasant part of the world with decent hotels in which to stay over. We were a little unsure about dress code and level of difficulty in the walks before we set off.
Upon being met by our tour guides, Peter and Rachel, we were soon reassured that the holiday would be informal and enjoyable. Our first hotel - Villa d'Amelia - was absolutely fantastic in every way starting with the welcome by the reception staff, the standard of the room and the facilities (including an outdoor heated pool, sauna and steam rooms). The restaurant was on another level - a Michelin 1 star - that delivered great food with special service with an emphasis on the customer as star of the show. This standard set the bar high for the rest of the holiday and our next port of call, after our first walking day, was in Grinzane Cavour staying for 2 nights at an excellent bed and breakfast with outstanding views and eating within the castle at another Michelin standard restaurant (although not yet awarded the coveted star); service here was brilliant - the chef and his wife ran the show with the help of 2 more serving staff and a kitchen brigade. At the end of an exquisite tasting menu with paired wines, the chef introduced himself to each table. His wife was charm itself and chatted and responded to our questions and comments throughout the 2 meals in a very engaging manner.
The rest of the holiday comprised 2 nights in Castiglione Falletto and 2 nights in Monforte d'Alba - both at excellent hotels in brilliant locations - and a final night returned to the Casa d'Ameila. Food could not generally compare with the first three nights, although the restaurant l'Argaj in Castiglione Falletto produced wonderful food in a setting looking out towards Barolo that would be hard to better.
Overall this was a brilliant holiday. The walking was just enough to make one ready for another (!) fine dining experience but not enough to be physically draining. Staying 2 nights in 3 of the locations proved to be a great idea - preventing the need to pack everything up every day and allowing time to appreciate the locality as well as giving an option for a circular walk or resting on the second day.
If you are reasonably fit and active and you like good wine and fine food then this would be a great holiday and my wife and I would thoroughly recommend it. Some of the walking instructions were ambiguous - resulting in a few additional miles being walked - and the terrain would be challenging underfoot in places if wet. We walked at the end of May and the heat on some days was strong; in July or August I can imagine walking being hard work and thirst inducing..
Very enjoyable introduction to North West Sicily and the Egadi islands. Each location was full of character and accommodation was attractive and comfortable. Particularly enjoyed accommodation near San Vito where owner Daniela is a charming and very welcoming host and gave us a great introduction to Sicilian food. Beautiful views on the walks, especially in Zingaro nature reserve and on Marettimo. High temperature and very strong wind made walk around Monte Cofano a bit of an endurance walk at the end. However, lemon granitas in café at the pick up point and paddle in sea helped recovery.
Be aware of possible High wind disruption on Island
We enjoyed the walking, loved the hotel in Amalfi which was exclusive and liked the hotel in Positano.
However we were the only English amongst a large tour party of Germans in Marina del Cantone and the Hotel Capodimonte was ghastly, appalling, dreadful and full of low cost package holiday tourists and the dinner in the evening at the hotel made me feel closer to my grave.
This was our first holiday of this type and was not sure what to expect, the route notes given were easy to follow we were collected on time at airports/ train stations /hotels. The agents were excellent with a full briefing one in person and one over the phone and both came back to me with requests that I made for additional information.
The accommodation throughout the holiday was of a very high standard, all very clean and with excellent quality of food.
Well done Headwater we will have no problems in booking through you again.
Nick & Sue Carter
It was unfortunate that, having made the booking for this holiday, when the maps and walking guides were forwarded to us, they had been incorrectly copied so that every even page was missing. It took a couple of phone calls to sort this out. Also took a bit of time to clarify travel arrangements to and from the airport. This made us feel a little vulnerable though, actually, the arrangements were absolutely spot on - all the taxis arrived on time and were of a very high standard. The representatives in Italy were exceptionally charming and helpful.
The description of the walks was a little misleading as some sections involved quite a lot of climbing and, in one case, scrambling down a rather precipitous, overgrown gully with loose rocks and stones presenting quite a challenge. The evening meal at the Capodimonte was dire, especially in comparison with the Punta Campanella, which was absolutely lovely. Breakfasts at the Casa Albertina were poor and I have marked the location as 'poor' because I thought it was harsh to expect your customers to climb all those steps to he hotel after the most challenging walk of the holiday involving, potentially, the descent of 1,000 steps through Positana at its conclusion.
You will note, however, that I would book with your company again, and am considering the cycle ride along the Danube for our next adventure! Your staff in the UK are, without exception, very charming. It was unfortunate that our walking guides were not complete at the outset but it was a wonderful holiday so thanks to everyone involved.
Wonderful walks and spectacular views.
Excellent holiday. All arrangements worked well except initial briefing - see below. Local transfers were excellent.
The weather was unusually cold and very windy, and there was no heating in the Marettimo Residence, but a heater was supplied at Baglio la Luna. Even so, we sat in bed in the evenings in our fleeces to keep warm, playing scrabble.
After the final walk,which took less time than expected, no facilities were open in the village of Cornino (not even the public conveniences). When he arrived, our lovely taxi driver Nicola drove us straight to San Vito Lo Capo so we could find a coffee and a desperately-needed loo. Full marks to Nicola for help and service throughout the trip; he even carried our bags up to the 2nd floor B&B in Trapani. (The amazing emergency B&B was like being on a set in an episode of Inspector Montalbano - a surprise addition to the holiday.)
The walks were enjoyable, but some of the paths on Marettimo and at Monte Cofano had been eroded by water over the winter and consisted mainly of loose fallen rocks of random sizes. Sticks are very much needed, especially for descents.
There are many dogs wandering around in this area of Sicily; we were not attacked at all, and one followed us all day on our walk to the Semaforo. We could only reward him with a drink of water, poured into a plastic carrier bag, in a hole in the ground at the picnic site. However, the dogs leave poo everywhere, so you need to watch your step!
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Lay,
Thank you for taking the time to complete your post-holiday questionnaire and for your constructive feedback. Please be assured that all of the feedback we receive, whether complimentary or critical, is valuable in helping us to continue to improve and develop our holidays for the future and is always well received.
Firstly, I was sorry to see the weather was unseasonable cooler than you had expected, although, despite the colder temperatures, we were happy to see this did not deter you from making the most of your holiday overall.
We were also pleased to see you found the walks enjoyable, and would like to thank you for your feedback regarding the winter erosion on a couple of the paths, this feedback has been passed on to our local agent, they are in the process of checking all of the routes, so will make this area a priority. We have also passed on your complimentary feedback regarding Nicola, our agent will ensure this is passed on, I am sure Nicola will be delighted to hear you appreciated his efforts.
Thank you also for your feedback regarding the local dogs. Whilst we appreciate, they did not cause you any bother, it would be useful to ascertain which area this occurred in, so we can report it to the local comune. (I will telephone you directly for this information).
In closing, we would like to thank you for choosing Headwater and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater Customer Service team
Great holiday, brilliant walks, great food and superb way to increase your knowledge and taste of italian wines. Unfortunately the journey home (and originally before it was changed the outward journey) was a total pain. This left us both with a bad taste in our mouth and spoiled the overall holiday experience. When we were dragging our suitcases around Milan train station wandering where the airport was we were cursing Headwater. At this stage we had already been on the road for over 4 hours, 2 hours from hotel to Turin and 2 hours by train to Milan. When we eventually came across a coach that was going to Milan Malpaso Airport we had to fork out 20 Euros for another 1 hour 10 minute coach journey to the airport. Coach stops first at the terminal we dont want and everyone gets off. We dont speak Italian and have no idea whats going on, Luckily a helpful stranger told us to stay on coach. The irony of course is Headwater give you all these walking directions/cycling directions but leave you to guess your way home.
A beautiful place to visit and explore. The accommodation of a very good standard and in lovely locations.
We did find the walks very interesting, challenging at times but about the right length, however we did use an app on a smart phone, which indicated we walked a few K further than the instructions stated. We also felt some of the walks did need to be re-done, especially the walk on day 4 from Diano D'Alba which we found very confusing to get out of and were told by the rep to take a different path at one point, which totally threw us off route, although we did find our way with the help of some locals.Although we understood why there was a walk on Day 7 back to Benevello, it was rather tedious.
Our restaurant selection for the evening meals was on the whole very good, but we did find it difficult to find something we could eat at the Villa D'Amelia, mainly because of our own diet of not eating red meat. The Locanda del Centro in Castiglone Falletto was really not very good.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable holiday.
Could not fault Headwater for their excellent customer service and organisation. I'm not even going to look at other companies now for any future walking holidays.
Excellent location for seeing the Dolomites.
Friendly, family run hotel.
Instructions for the walking routs and the use of bus/train were very good
The holiday was very enjoyable, the location was great, but the walks were challenging in the heat, even in September. The local food was delicious.
Headwater holidays are ones where you can count on the arrangements made and simply enjoy the holiday you have chosen to take.
This Headwater holiday is definitely a cut above other European holidays that we have enjoyed with you. Villa d'Amelia and Villa Beccaris were exceptional in every way, and throughout we enjoyed excellent local cuisine and wines. We would happily do it all over again!
Well thought through and excellent administration meant we could concentrate on our walking
The Dolomites are stunning and the walking was varied and challenging. The route notes were excellent and the self guiding was easy. The hotel was exceptional, with delicious food. The village of Dobbiacco was very well placed with good bus connections which made walking in different areas easy and enjoyable.
Thoroughly enjoyable - just as we expected - save only for the above average temperatures (35C +). I'm sure it would be a lot more comfortable in the Spring!
Good walking, good accommodation , food and wine. Interesting cities and towns to visit.
The welcome & help we encountered from local people was phenomenal.
This is an excellent place for a single centre holiday, offering many good trails with stunning views if you have good weather, but bear in mind that the conditions in high mountain areas such as this can be unpredictable, even in summer.
First rate. Hotel, hotel staff, the range of walks, and headwater staff were excellent
Excellent area for a holiday
Beautiful area of Sicily, which took us by surprise. It is very hot though as there's little shade on the walks so a slightly later departure in the year may have been better for us. A good variety of walks available though so when it was at its hottest we just did slightly less strenuous ones.. Also the walking ability of our group of 6 was mixed so we could split up at times but all enjoy a walk then meet for dinner together which worked well.. The sightseeing trips were well chosen and really interesting.
Travel arrangements were good, hotels were easy to find and all but one was well maintained. Walks were very well described, distances were not accurate and the number of steps was a joke but the walks were clearly described an the views were wonderful. We saw many rural areas of the Amalfi Peninsular that most people will never see, they don't know what they are missing! are missing
The rest days are a very good idea and gave us chance to do several things we wanted to do, ie go to Pompeii and Capri, without the break I think that the last few days would have felt like hard work.
Although not far from the bustling city of Padova, the Euganean hills seem to be an undiscovered gem and we saw far more butterflies than walkers! We enjoyed all of the walks and there were plenty easily accessible attractive places to visit on our rest days. Our holiday was enhanced by a night in Venice at the start and at the finish.
good varied hotels, good walks with interesting details on the way. Excellent service when booking the holiday, yes we would certainly go with Headwater again.
This was an absolutely stunning holiday in every way. The hotels were all of a high standard and each was lovely in its own individual way. The restaurants were a nice treat after the day's walking and working up an appetite! There was stiff competition for our favourite restaurant and Il Castello and Villa D'Amelia had to share the prize for sheer wow factor! That said La Locanda del Centro was our favourite 'non-Michelin' restaurant. The waiter couldn't do enough to make us feel welcome, it had a lovely relaxed atmosphere and the food was really tasty.
The route notes for each of the walks was spot on and went wrong once (our fault, not Headwater's!). We'd recommend the circular walk to La Morra. It's a pretty strenuous walk through the vineyards but the sense of achievement and the stunning views are definitely worth any aching calf muscles!
Lastly, Marsha and Esme (the Headwater Reps) made our holiday what it was. They were always cheerful and full of tips for the places we were due to walk to. They were also on the end of a phone with any queries we had.
Thanks for a brilliant holiday, Sarah & Mark Wall
Excellent accomodation, food, walks and scenery.
Headwater thinks of everything - right down to offering us a lovely cold bottle of water when we emerged from a long, hot journey to our pick up point. You select fabulous hotels in brilliant locations, which takes all the hard work out of planning a holiday. Taxis turn up when they're supposed to, hotels and restaurants are expecting us. You are wonderfully efficient. This was our sixth booking with you and we'll be back for more next year. Bravo, Headwater.
An excellent walking trip with the added extra of a few days in the superb city of Venice. Excellent support from headwater Rep and good to be 'off the beaten track' in a lesser known and unspoilt area of Italy.
This was a wonderful holiday, full of small surprises and little luxuries. Each hotel was charmingly different. The food was spectacular, the people lovely, and the scenery green, beautiful and quiet. Thank you very much
Not to be missed well done Headwater
Should have been advised that the hotel is located next to the railway station and level crossing with trains passing through from from 5.30 am. Our upgraded room overlooked the railway station and crossing. No air conditioning in rooms meant we had to leave open the windows during the night and heard announcements, warning bells and the trains themselves every half hour.
Dobbiaco is an excellent centre for a walking holiday with superb scenery and good choice of walks. Transfers were efficient, hotel very good and we enjoyed our first experience of a Headwater holiday very much.
We topped and tailed the walking with two nights in Verona and two nights in Venice which gave a nice contrast. The walking was enjoyable with a variety of terrain and the route descriptors good. We were lucky with the weather but it can be unpredictable so you need waterproofs and/or a brolly just in case. Good insect repellent is worth the investment. The area is unspoilt and there seem to be very few tourists. Accommodation was good though air-con is either poor or doesn't exist so it is hot at night. On our rest days were able to visit Montagnana and Padua which were both very enjoyable. However, if you can try to organise the holiday so that you are walking on a Sunday you will avoid being marooned on a rest day - no buses run on Sundays! We found the locals to be friendly though most had as much English as we had Italian - very little! The rep - Sarah - was charming and very helpful! Italian beer is good but expensive - local wine is good and good value! Overall a great experience. We enjoyed the holiday and would recommend it.
The holiday surpassed expectations in terms of location, food and hotels. All in all, excellent value for money!
Sarah is an excellent asset to Headwater, knowledgeable and friendly.She was thorough in going through the briefing notes and was on hand if we needed. The walking notes were accurate, at times it felt like a higher grade walk than billed, but that just added to the achievement after each one. Views spectacular, hotels and food excellent. Rest day in Padua to see Giotto Frescoes and then the Anatomy Theatre at the University was fantastic. Sarah gave us opening times and suggestions, so that was really time saving and useful. This was our first HW holiday, and we are already looking where our next one could be.
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Todd, Thank you for your lovely comments regarding our rep Sarah, we have passed your feedback on to her and she was delighted. We were also pleased to see that you had an enjoyable 1st holiday with Headwater it sounds like you took in all of the sights and sounds that this region has to offer. We look forward to welcoming you on your next holiday with us in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater Customer Service team
Great location to be based for walking in the Dolomites, Bellevue Park hotel food is very good, their baths big and very welcome after a long day in tthe and the mountains themselves are magnificent. Walking notes are comprehensive, would just suggest you add a couple of routes which start out in one location and finish up elsewhere on the bus network - Tres Chime early bus is ideal - this offers some fantastic route options and minimises the amount of up. Only regret we didn't get a bit of Via Ferrata training whilst out there, would have vastly increased what we could do. Loved every minute. Tagged on three days in Verona and four days in Venice. Probably one of the best and most varied holidays we've ever done
Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, directions for walks / routes easy to understand and very accurate, excellent mix of walking companions in our group, superb location and scenery, the week went too fast!
We thoroughly enjoyed walking in the Dolomites staying in Dobiacco/Toblach at Park Bellevue Hotel. The food was superb and beautifully presented and served. The hotel staff were extremely friendly and helpful.The hotel and swimming facilities etc were fantastic. We found the walks brilliant, did not expect to be walking in snow in June! but the notes on the whole were easy to follow, just got lost once and sometimes it took us longer due to snow and several fallen trees over the path on one walk. The bus ticket which was included could be used on the train and provided excellent value for exploring the region and the nearby towns. Best of all we met really interesting people in the hotel who had come with Headwater or Exodus and we all got on very well.Have already recommended Headwater to friends.
Fantastic combination of great scenery, good walks, superb hotel made a wonderful holiday.
We had a super week with like-minded people. Although we were all initially wary of socialising as a group, during the week we became closer and enjoyed each other's company. The hotel was fun - comfortable and friendly with multi-course meals of excellent quality that were welcome after a day's hiking. It was the antithesis of an impersonal chain hotel. The only thing it lacked was wifi outside of the reception area. And some reference books - for example for wild flowers - would have been useful.
The walks were spectacular, probably made more so by the fact that we were early in the season - mid June. Tre Cime and Mount Elmo were decidedly scary first thing in the morning before someone else had kicked foothills in the snow. We learned to catch the buses around 10am not 9am. The notes were not entirely accurate and read as if the walks had not been checked for some time. In fact it didn't matter as the local trails are well signposted. Every member of the group who did the Mount Elmo walk got lost and changed from the notes to the maps or signposts. The 'Churches and Chapels' walk was unexpectedly interesting and quite energetic despite being on quiet lanes (very quiet - we were passed by one car and two tractors in 4 hours). It was a good contrast to the other walks and well worth doing.
We appreciated the notes on eating places - or the lack of them. It was useful to know when a packed lunch was necessary.
The travel card was convenient. Buses ran regularly to the walk starting-points and were not crowded at this time of year. On one day we caught the train (next to the hotel) and explored Brunico. Every stop had something to look at (see the poster on the platform).
A number of people went on to Venice afterwards, an easy trip given the minibus to the airport and then a bus to the station or a water bus to St Mark's Square.
Good range of walks in outstanding scenery.Surprising lack of facilities in Dobbiaco considering time of year e.g. Most shops closed- almost no bars or alternate restaurants!
We have just returned from another very enjoyable holiday, all the hotels were very good, in amazing locations with fantastic views. I would definitely upgrade to a sea view room at Grand Hotel Capodimonte, especially if staying on longer in Sorrento. The walks were varied and we had no real problem with the notes. Could be challenging to some as there are defiantly plenty of steps, both up and down, in many places! Walking poles very helpful. But you are rewarded with the views and the hotels.
All our pick ups where excellent by the local agent, and the rep phoned us on the first evening as promised. We know she was easy to contact if we needed her. So, overall, an good holiday exploring this part of Italy, Thank you again, Headwater.
Excellent representative. Belvedere hotel a gem. Our overall perception is coloured by the fact that we hit a heatwave of mid-thirties degrees in the shade which, given the steepness of the hills, was exhausting. Excellent suggestions for the days off from walking.
Excellent hotels with 4 evenings enjoying a la carte Michelin one star dinners. Great food and wine throughout. Map directions adrift on a couple of occasions but overall ok.
Excellent comfortable friendly hotels with unforgettable views .
We had a fantastic holiday with Headwater and loved every minute of the walks which were well planned, with clear instructions. Everything worked as expected and it was a very easy way to walk the best of the area without any worries. Thank you.
Update the walk notes, they are very out of date and unusually for Headwater quite irritating
Headwater response:
Dear Mr Joyce, Thank you for your feedback. I have passed on your comments to the programme manger for the region,she is currently in the process of updating the route notes, unfortunately, there have been a number of amendments needed due to the unusually poor weather experienced in this area over the winter. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. We hope that despite this issue, you had an enjoyable holiday overall.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater Customer Service team
We had a marvellous holiday and really enjoyed the variety of walks and hotels, and the suggestions for days off. The area was so beautiful and arriving on foot in each town was magical.
Minor gripes were: not hearing from the rep (we phoned her on day 2). She told us of a landslide and said she would send us an alternative route, but this didn't happen. We found the alternative route without difficulty. The maps for the Amalfi coast were not helpful (and one was missing). The route notes were sometimes difficult to follow (we had to learn to concentrate!). We became proud of our navigation skills.
Thank you! Where next?
Good first experience with friends who have been with you before.
The Venetian Hills holiday was a truly enjoyble experience. This is a little-known, unspoiled part of the country and ideal for walking. The welcome and service at all the hotels was second to none.
This is a lovely area of Italy and all the places we stayed were good. The travel arrangements worked like clockwork and the walks were lovely. My favourite Headwater holiday, so far.
Terrific holiday in with superb views, excellent food and wine with delightful walks.
Secrets o Sicily was probably one of the best holidays ever. The walking was great, the routes good, the accommodation (with one exception) excellent with good food. Everything you could want for comfort and enjoyment, but not at all fussy. Domenica at Baglio La Luna was great in letting us keep the room for the whole day before we flew back in the evening, and in offering us food in a location where there is nothing else. The help given in choosing appropriate accommodation for our two extra (lazy) days before we started the walking holiday was much appreciated. Thank you.
il feudo is rather basic and rustic .Steep stairs no lift.Shower unit in bathroom fell off wall.,not a lot of pressure. Welcome was good though.
Villa Lussana all confection ---no lift Headwater customers on second floor. shower unit cracked and water only just warm enough.
For walkers some paths i found quite tough walking over tumbling rocks in the hills which could easily have been dangerous so you had to be vigilant. Having done a fair few walking hols i found this one quite tough . but may be age had something to do with it . i would have graded it a little higher i think.
But enjoyable all the same .Well its Italy ---whats not to like!!!!!!!
We both really enjoyed our Piedmont Holiday. All of the hotels we stayed at were very good, all quite different in character from one another which we liked. The Piedmont countryside is beautiful and the local people were so friendly. The walks were quite challenging, lots of hills, the steepest usually as you try to reach your hotel at the end of the day, but a great feeling when you do arrive.
The distances quoted on the route notes were much shorter than those that registered on my pedometer, I think perhaps these should be reviewed.
The local Headwater reps. Marsha and Esme were fantastic, very helpful, friendly and punctual.
The meals in the evening were usually taken in local restaurants, our favourites Osteria dei Catari and Locanda del Centro, the more rustic of the bunch. Only negative for us was The Ristarante il Castello, beautiful building, shame about the atmosphere, formality taken to the limit, neither diners nor staff seemed to be having a good time. We were due to dine there twice, but decided to give the second visit a miss.
Apart from that a brilliant holiday. Pat O'Connor
Well organised and enjoyable holiday
Overall holiday was good. Never saw rep, although not really necessary. Big hotels at punta campanella and sorrento not great as they cater for the mass coach trip market and lose personal touch. We met inntravel (or possibly atg) walkers in punta campanella staying in small hotel which was idyllic. Luna convento excellent and set a high bar others did not come close to. Sorrento particularly disappointing as it was in chaos and couldn't handle the number of guests . It was the first time in 50 years travelling i have had to queue (30 minutes) for a dinner table. Food also left much to be desired. A smaller hotel in town might be a better bet and certainly more our preference
Headwater response:
Dear Mr Wyatt, Thank you for your feedback. We were pleased to see that you enjoyed your holiday overall. We were however sorry to see that you did not receive your welcome brief on arrival, this is usually carried out via telephone. We will ensure this is made clearer in our documentation for future customers. We were also sorry to see you were disappointed with some of the hotels you stayed in due to the size and lack of personal touch, wherever possible we try to use small and friendly hotels. I have passed on your feedback to our programme manager for their consideration. We would like to thank you for travelling with Headwater this summer and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
This was our first experience with Headwater although we have previously toured and trekked with a number of other companies. We were overall impressed, and would certainly consider Headwater for other walking or cycling holidays.
On our arrival we were welcomed by our driver Seor Russo who we found to be both entertaining and informative. Throughout our stay he was always punctual and reliable. Although we never actually met the resort agent she rang us to advise about adverse weather condition, diversions and alternative routes. Unfortunately we experienced poor weather but it did not interfere with our enjoyment of the holiday and we managed to complete the planned itinery. Overall all the htels were good and we were delighted to find our accommodation had been upgraded at the Pumta Campanelle where we had the benefit of a suite and a large sun terrace. We have only two observations to make to improve the holiday:
(1) The cost of porterage at 3 euros per bag on arrival and departure should either be included in the holiday cost or guests advised of this in the holiday information.
(2) the time of departure for the airport should be included in the holiday informattion to avoid guests having to make an educated guess based on flight times.
We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. The walking mix was good, and flowers, birds, sea and sun were a great combination. Marettimo was special.
This was a very enjoyable holiday. The walks, locations, itinerary and choice of hotels were all well thought out. We enjoyed the variety of walks and the wild flowers were stunning. Spotting a Bonelli Eagle was one of the highlights. Our local reps looked after us well, leaving us to be independent but stepping in when required - for example, sorting out a hotel in Trapani when our boat trip to Marettimo was delayed due to high winds. We found some of the walks quite tough but rewarding. The hotels were varied and our favourite was the self catering on Marettimo.
Could not be faulted to be perfectly honest, excellent accomodation throughout,well balanced walking itinerary, first class route notes and maps.The Amalfi coast was everything we hoped it would be and more, a great holiday.
Fantastic locations with carefully selected routes and hotels. Descriptions of the walks for for self guided tour where very easy to follow and very accurate.
The overall holiday was very enjoyable, well planned with a good mix of site seeing and excellent walking in a little known but beautiful part of Sicily, all local
Agents were on time and efficient, Carlos in particular was well informed and helpful, others were less so.. We opted to pay extra to have some time sight seeing in Palermo on the last day. This caused quite a lot of arranging and could have been offered to us before we went, The last hotel was not good. The food was very poor, bit like school dinners and as it was in such an isolated location it was not possible to walk to any where else as another choice to eat, it was a long distance from the planned walks in the reserve so it entailed long taxi rides to and for , which seemed pointless and made the whole thing rather regulated rather than the freedom offered at the other hotels and locations. In addition I had been persuaded to pay 60 Euro extra by the U.K. Booking agent from Headwater for a room with a sea view and little patio when in fact all it was was an ordinary room with rather a small window which did look over the sea, a rip off.
Headwater provides an excellently organised walking experience - choosing breathtaking routes which are brilliantly and minutely mapped out.
Quite the best walking holiday operator I have ever used.
An excellent holiday in an outstanding area. Local history combined with fantastic scenery, and walks. Some of the walks were at the upper end of the grading - made worse by unusually high temperatures. The organisation of the transfers and visits to historic sites was first rate.
Holiday was around three centres and we didn't walk between them. Taxi transfers ere very reliable and efficient. Our taxi driver Daniella, was keen to practice his English. Our three night on Marettimo where we ate in Il Veliero where the anto pasto was marvellous. We got a really great welcome at La Luna and we were lucky to be able to stay in our room until late on the last day when we were flying home late so we could have a shower after a day on the beach at San Vito Lo Capo. We enjoyed the visits to Segesta and Enrice. It was a really good mox of walking and seeing a few of the sights.
The comments on food above refer to breakfast only. Restaurant comments:
Villa d'Amelia: First meal a little disappointing regarding service and food. Second much better in both respects. Just about worth a Michelin star.
Il Castello: A little formal but excellent food. Worth a Michelin star.
Le Torri: Really friendly, interesting well cooked food, a nice contrast to Il Castello. Two excellent evenings. Pity the owners are moving to La Morra.
Osteria dei Catari: Nice people. Starters good but the 4 of us had 3 different main courses and all were poor.
Osteria La Salita: Friendly service and an excellent dinner, better cooked and more interesting than dei Catari.
We (and others) felt that the 1st day of walking was merely pleasant - not up to the billing - but from our arrival at Casa Pavesi the holiday took off and justified the comment we had had that it was the jewel in your crown. It was, however, marred somewhat by the poor wording of the script walking guide, which caused all 4 couples to go wrong (independently of each other) at least once. Fortunately the map enabled recovery of the route.
Excellent in every way and the food was amazing!
This was one of our all time favourite holidays owing to the stunning scenery & the very high standard of accommodation offered. The walking schedule was relatively relaxed but the amount of step climbing might be daunting to some, though it would be easy to slow the pace if necessary and to take full advantage of the alternate 'rest days'. It was well worth the time and expense in adding a couple of extra days during which we explored Pompeii and Herculaneum and took a trip up to the summit of Vesuvius. The local bus & train services (although a little basic & crowded) were easy to use and efficient. Our dietary restrictions were catered for very competently and without fuss.
Park Hotel staff and service outstanding. The walking guide notes were a good way to get the feel of the available routes in an all too brief week..they were accurate and very detailed. The Locanda staff were a delight, as well..so cheery and helpful. The Ferrovia area is a bit of a nightmare people crush, but, amazingly, down our little alley, all was very peaceful. The small Trattoria next to the hotel was a nice place too..staffed by pleasant and hospitable couple.
A delightful area with a large range of walks.
Excellent holiday! The office staff were very helpful and patient and helped us choose the right holiday. We greatly enjoyed the walks, they were varied and interesting, with lots to see on the way. All the hotels were lovely and welcoming with great Italian food. On our days off we did a bit of 'culture'
we visited Padua and Monselice. At the end of our holiday we tagged on a few days in Venice, as it was virtually on the way back anyway and that was great as well. We just would like to add our sincere thanks to Sarah our rep. She gave us lots of interesting information about the region, and seemed to know all the walks in great detail because she gave us very good advice about finding our way. It gave us a good start to our holiday!
We are looking forward to our next holiday with Headwater.
The major walks were excellent, views were superb and the route notes very well put together. The heat and lack of shade was the main problem, especially in the afternoon when the long 'downs' and many steps made for hard work. Your choice of bases for hotels was excellent as at all places there were plenty of opportunities to see the local sites using local transport which was very cheap. Our visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum from Sorrento were made even better by the fact that it comes free for over 65 EU citizens making for cheap days out when you consider that the return rail fair was at it's most expensive just over 8 Euros for the 2 of us! Extending our stay in Sorrento at the end gave us the opportunity to chill out at the excellent Hotel Favorita ( the icing on the cake in terms of facilities, service and comfort) and fit in the trips we wanted without being rushed at other times. Well done for putting together such an excellent package.
The holiday was a wonderful experience with really beautiful views to reward us as we tackled the walks. Instructions and timings were excellent. The hotel was lovely too.
Thanks Headwater.
Lovely holiday but too hot in last week of August for walking. we aimed to be finished by late lunchtime to avoid the heat of the day.Which was not the aim.
Would avoid the Nice transit as it is too long a wait in Nice for a train and the transit up country is tedious.
All the arrangements, transfers and pick-ups worked well with the drivers being friendly, helpful and always on time. All the hotels were of a very high standard with large rooms and excellent bathrooms. We had no contact with the representative over there but did not need any help anyway.
All the walk instructions were very detailed and accurate and the only times we made errors was because we were talking and not concentrating on the instructions!
A fantastic holiday with excellent organisation, well-chosen hotels and superb walking route notes. Nothing ever goes wrong on a Headwater Holiday. Can't wait to see next year's brochure.
We used Headwater last year for the Alsace walking holiday. We were so impressed we booked for the Barolo Gastronomic walking holiday. We were not disappointed. All aspects of the holiday were well planned and we felt very well supported by Headwater's local representatives. Have already recommended Headwater to friends and we will definitely use them again.
We challenged ourselves- walking every day even in August in Italy... Mostly, the hotels were a great reward for our efforts. We think we would do it again.. Maybe try the cycling.
Enjoyable walking in beautiful scenery combined with very comfortable hotels.
The holiday offers a good choice of walks for all levels and we weren't disappointed with any of them. The first two walks we undertook started from the hotel. A number of the walks start a bus ride away and we soon got into the swing of catching the bus and the drivers were always very helpful and patient.
The hotel was really lovely and exceptionally friendly. We travelled by train and the hotel is very near to the train station.
The views were truly excellent.
All in all, a delightful holiday in the Dolomites.
This holiday was excellent. Marc and Marcia were very friendly and extremely helpful.
Marcia ran through the instructions for each of the walks with us and pointed out areas where we needed to be extra careful so that we did not get lost.
Marc always arrived exactly on time to pick us up in a morning to take us to the start of the day's walk.
I have a number of food allergies and Marcia had contacted each of the restaurants where we ate our evening meals to advise them of my requirements. They were all fully aware before we arrived and the waiters were extremely helpful in ensuring that meals were suitable for me. The hotels, restaurants and food, and infact everything about this holiday was excellent and ran incredibly smoothly.
Fantastic week - can't think of anything we could/would change to improve it. Hotel was excellent and staff very friendly & accomodating (e.g. agreeing to change day for walk that required hotel transportation). Food incredible (and lots of it). Scenery spectacular and walking routes very well planned, with good variety of options (and potential to extend) depending on weather and legs (although we had generally good weather)! Transfer to/from airport very efficient. We've already recommended this holiday to friends and family! Only problem is whether another holiday will live up to this one.....
This was our fifth holiday with Headwater and our best to date. We are always happy with the holidays booked with Headwater and the support provided by your staff. The Dolomites is a superb location for a walking holiday and we wondered why we had never considered this holiday before - we will definitely be visiting again. We liked the fact that all of the walks were easily accessed by the local buses and cable cars or gondolas. The Bellevue Hotel provided a very high standard of accommodation and the food was fantastic. A good selection every day, beautifully prepared and presented. One of the friends we travelled with requires a gluten free diet, Headwater had advised the hotel in advance, and the hotel went out of its way to provide delicious gluten free rolls and adapted the menu accordingly so our friend felt she was well looked after. The hotel staff were always welcoming and helpful. A holiday that we will be considering re-booking as there are so many trails we still want to explore.
We thoroughly enjoyed our Headwater holiday in the Dolomites. The walking directions were excellent (maps were redundant) and the walks themselves inspiring. Mid-August is probably not the best time to go - the weather was glorious, but really difficult to escape the crowds of people. We only had ourselves to blame! The staff at the Bellevue hotel were delightful (full marks to Rita and Andrea in the dining room - and to Andreas for his overall supervision) - but beware if you're in a room facing the railway tracks.....the early morning announcements of train arrivals / departures wore a bit thin by the end of the week.
The walking was tougher than I expected because of the above average temperatures (often around 95 F). The area is very picturesque and the route is well planned to give a feeling of doing the round of all the major Barolo producing villages, with good views from each of the hill towns. I was glad, however, that the last day's walk was a complete change from walking through vineyards. The standard of accommodation and food was excellent throughout the week, and represented superb value for money. I would have welcomed air conditioning in Hotel Le Torri rather than a cooling fan, but at other times of year it would have been fine. The cooking in all the restaurants was very good, particularly in Il Castelli at Grinzane Cavour and at Villa D'Amelia where we gladly paid the supplement for their superb full tasting menu on our final evening. I would have welcomed a change of restaurant on the second evening in Monforte D'Alba, not because there was anything wrong with the food but because the menu (the same each evening) was rather limited - especially the secundi. The local people were all very welcoming, and it is a trip that I would happily do again, but preferably in the autumn.
Wonderful holiday excellent accomodation and walking. Some walks quite challenging but managable. One of the best food in any hotel I have stayed in. Good quality wine at reasonable prices.
Outstanding cuisine, wines and service in all places. a very quiet region with friendly locals. Beautiful landscapes and a great way to eat lots and then burn the calories off in the walk. one of the very best holidays I have ever had.
A wonderful region for walking at almost any level. Every area we walked was beautiful and we did a mixture of moderate (with a little bit of challenging) and leisurely.
Hotel was excellent, very friendly and helpful and good food.
A great venue except for the overcrowding on the buses.
All travel arrangements on the flights and the transfer to and from the hotel went well. The food and accommodation at Park Hotel Belleview in Dobbiaco were very good and the staff were very helpful. We got on well with other Headwater clients through the week we stayed there. The weather in mid-June was warm with little rain. Due to a recent knee problem my wife and I were unable to walk on as many routes we would have liked to but the Tre Cime and Lago de Braies walks that we did manage to complete were stunning. The 7 day travel pass was a real bonus and one day we travelled to Villnoss by train and bus to take pictures of the view of the Odler mountain range from St Magdelena. We plan to return another year.
We were very disappointed that our walking itinerary was missing from the package sent to us, and we received it only at The end of our second day. We were also expecting to be welcomed by a headwater rep upon our arrival at Luna Convento Hotel, instead we had to call the help line to figure out what to do. Our rep Liberata, told us very bluntly that due to costs cut our briefing could only take place over the phone, with the line being cut every 3 minutes from her end. As a result ot this delay, we missed the visit to Ravello (supposed to be among the must see of the Amalfi coast) and nearly got lost on our first walk. In The hotel in Sorrento I had to sleep on a sofa dressed as bed for two nights, as we were given a double room instead of a twin. As a result I ended up with a bad back for the rest of the week! I would expect a bit more for the price I have paid!!!!
A beautiful area of the Dolomites with spectacular scenery and added historical interest. An excellent choice of varied walks to suit all abilities. A very good hotel base, well situated.
Dolomites outstanding area
This is a really excellent choice for any guests wanting a truly gastronomic experience amongst wonderful countryside. We enjoyed the walking very much, although at first we wondered whether it might be challenging enough with alternate rest days. However, Headwater provided good suggestions on how to spend the available time and we were pleased that we had the time to explore more widely. Our days were all the more enjoyable for being able to look forward to some of the best cuisine which Italy has to offer anywhere. Headwater's has done well to enable guests to experience a range of Piedmont's restaurant cooking, from the world class to the more rustic, but all served to an extremely high standard.
We were impressed too with the attentive support given by our local reps, Marc and Marsha, for whom nothing was too much trouble.
As we self drove to Italy, we stayed in two Headwater arranged hotels en route, Hotel Normandie in Auxerre, and Hotel Alpina in Les Gets, both of which represented very good value for money.
Very enjoyable, although the walking was quite challenging due to length, terrain and lingering snow. We often adapted / cut short from the recommended routes, but this was feasible and equally enjoyable. Fantastic scenery.
Although I have indicated that we would book a holiday with you again I would have strong reservations as to whether the holidays that you provide are really catering for our interests. Before booking the holiday I raised the query as to whether or not it was suitable for us given that we walk to see wildlife and landscape rather than just to walk. Unfortunately the worry that the holiday was a walking holiday with little or no emphasis on wildlife came to fruition. At the start of the holiday in Dobbiaco we found it virtually impossible to find out information on where to go to get the best chance of seeing wildlife or to get information needed to identify the flowers that we were seeing. The hotel did not know nor did the tourist information centre. Half way through the holiday we managed to get to the nature centre at the Grand Hotel who were very helpful but by that time the opportunity to visit the areas suggested had largely passed. We also found the large numbers of walkers on the routes suggested to be offputting for us. We are used to walking in areas where you often do not see footprints let alone people so we were amazed to see so many people on all the routes that we followed. Perhaps it would be possible to include routes that are quieter for those that want to escape the crowds.
Having said all that the holiday was well organised the hotels were excellent and if all you want is a walking holiday then I doubt that the service that you provide can be beaten. I am just not sure that it is for us.
We had a very enjoyable but quite energetic holiday in a comfortable hotel in the Dolomites. The early season flowers and scenery were spectacular.
We had a lovely time marred only by the fact that 3 of the 4 hotels provided a double bed when we as 2 female friends sharing a room needed our booked twin beds!
The itinerary was well structured and well organised. Pick up and transfers were punctual and efficient. Hotels were excellent - great locations, wonderful views, comfortable and with a high level of service. The upgrade to the Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento - due to the Favorita being overbooked - was very much appreciated. We were also grateful that a transfer to Sorrento port was organised for us on the last morning.
We stayed at the Royal Prisco in Positano (not the hotel on the questionnaire) and I cannot change the hotel name - but all comments on the Royal Prisco are 'good'.
Neither did we stay at the Favourita in Sorrento - biut we did stay at the Excelsior Vittoria which was excellent in all respects.
A great introduction to this little known area of Italy. The itinerary meant that we could easily combine walking with sight-seeing.
Good variety of walking and interest on the transfer days. Traveled in late May which seemingly is low season in Sicily consequently some of the restaurants on Marettimo were closed leaving a very limited choice, however the accommodation has a good kitchenette giving the option to self cater for 1 or 2 nights. Marettimo was very windy the days we were there making the coastal path to the Castello challenging, you certainly need a head for heights in windy conditions.
We were most impressed with the welcome and hospitality at all the hotels, as well as the great service offered by Sarah, our rep. However, we were surprised at the challenging terrain of the walking, especially on the last day (Teolo to Il Feudo) and our overall enjoyment was spoiled by having to cope with shinning up rocks, then traversing knee-deep mud, then a slide down a rock strewn path. It was not the enjoyable countryside walking with views we had envisaged.
Loved Western Sicily, looking extra beautiful covered in spring flowers. And how well we ate!
Independent walking with the confident backup of Crilu's expertise. Seeing those parts of a place not normally on the tourist routes and enjoying beautiful scenery and interesting locations away from the masses.
A wonderful opportunity to get to know this corner of Sicily. We would never have found these nature reserves ourselves. The wild flowers were a spectacle, and the local cuisine excellent.
A very enjoyable holiday. we were particularly impressed by the taxi transfers and their good driving on difficult roads. Always hugely reassuring to be welcomed at the airport, and when the taxi arrives on time, indeed early! The hotels were far more luxurious than we expected, so a real treat.
Well thought out and stress -free holiday but not cheap.
