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.
Very supportive sales staff and everything is organised in a timely manner.
All the hotels and travel arrangements and transfers are clearly explained and are easy to understand.
The Headwater team are just great. From the local teams to the UK booking teams, the end result is an amazing holiday. We have used Headwater before, and ONLY go back to them. They can be trusted to give you a most valuable life experience and memories, each and every time, almost anywhere in the world.
Helpful and knowledgeable. I get a sense they care about making holidays as good as as can be
We enjoyed every aspect of the holiday. It was the first time we have been self guided rather than part of a group and it really suited us because we could ski at our own pace. The hotel was very comfortable and quite unusual in that we were the only people from the UK for most of the week. There was a lovely mixture of nationalities. We hope to go back in the future.
Headwater is a professional organisation with friendly and helpful staff and it is an organisation we would travel with again. The essential information was very useful but an overview map provided with the joining instructions would be helpful. The trip to Akaslompolo exceeded our expectations. The scenery was beautiful, the cabins were comfortable and warm and the food was excellent. Other activities were available and there were plenty of walking routes if you didn't want to ski. We would come here again. The only criticism is that the signs on the routes were sometimes confusing and did not seem to tie in with the map.
Lauren Matkin provided fantastic service and helped us with all our queries
A great choice for independent travellers looking for an active holiday with safety and quality assurance built in.
Headwater were helpful from the beginning and came up with an itinerary for us to include everything we wanted to
do. Any queries were sorted before we left England and whilst in Japan. The notes we were given were extremely clear, detailed and invaluable; as a result the trip went smoothly with no hiccups. I would certainly recommend Headwater ( and have already!) and would certainly travel with them again
Our trip to Japan was just fabulous. We loved every part of it.
We added a few days at the start and finish of the trip to travel independently, and it was good to have this extra time to explore Kyoto and to travel a little further afield afterwards. Having the reassurance of our booking with Headwater gave us the confidence to do this.
The travel and transfers all worked out very smoothly. The walk itself, the hotels and guesthouses, the food, and the welcome we were given by all our hosts along the Kumano Kodo were exceptional.
It was a very special experience which will live long in our memories.
Found service good even when I had trouble doing API as fault with Swiss air!
Had a great holiday despite endless rain and worst storm in45 years including large hailstones causing damage to cars! Map app was easy to use and very helpful. Lots of detail in the guide book but I didn’t always find it easy to get my head around! Bavarian people were friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed our holiday 😊
We had a wonderful time Vancouver, a lovely city and in the ebautiful Sunshine Coast of Canada. The walks were splendid and apart from some difficulties, the instructions were good. The Rocky Mountaineer was a very good experience.
Overall the holiday was very enjoyable and the accommodation excellent (helped by a complimentary upgrade at Madeira Park!) The breakfast situation needs a bit more thought. At Shades of Jade, the breakfasts were excellent, but not so in he two other resorts. At Madeira Park we had no cereals, but did have a litre of milk, which went mainly unused. At Desolation Sound, we had neither bread nor cereals (we had to go and buy bread ourselves). Fruit and juices were plentiful at all three locations.
The wide variety of walks allowed us to choose according to conditions. The free access to bus train and chairlift made it all very simple. The Belvedere was exceptional with very interesting meals. There was direct access to a very large swimming area with a variety of temperatures, water jets and saunas.
An incredible experience in Bavaria. Amazing combination of lakes, mountains and forest scenery. Lots of forest paths at first, but sensational views in later days. There are some tough stretches where you climb or descend steeply over long periods of time, on proper paths but nevertheless it requires stamina and walking poles are handy. The app for guidance was useful but needs a few tweaks and we'd have preferred an old-fashioned map as well. All hotels met or exceeded expectations, friendly welcome and great breakfasts, although it helps if you speak some German. Public transport is part of the itinerary, it's easy and the hotels provide travel cards for free bus travel across the area. The local partner was very efficient with luggage behind the scenes. The booking process was frustrating - sloppy admin, complicated by IT system requiring separate bookings and paperwork for our two rooms. Plus we missed out on cheap flights because it took 3 weeks to confirm our reservation.
We enjoyed the opportunity to visit a new country and experience a new activity. The Yllas region of Finland is very beautiful and quiet and the snow and cold added to that. The hotel was excellent and staff very professional. We found the cross country skiing challenging. We were complete beginners so in that respect we felt our expectations of what we could achieve in terms of ability were not met. We had hoped to be able to ski around the area more easily than we could and instead we switched to doing a bit of skiing on the lake (nice and flat) and then walking around the park on the cycle trails. I would suggest that beginners should book more lessons and to know that they may not be able to ski for many kilometres after 2-3 days of practice so to be prepared to ski for some of the holiday but also enjoy other outdoor activities on offer. The northern lights were lovely and the people of Finland very welcoming and friendly.
We enjoyed the holiday a lot. Cross country skiing is very energetic (in a different league from hill walking or downhill skiing) and you need to be very fit to enjoy it.
Hotel was excellent in all respects. Äkäslompolo was truly beautiful. There were many skiing and walking trails on the doorstep. Travel was fine.
Booking process however was very poor. After realising the direct flights as advertised on the website weren't available, I booked and paid a deposit. I was later informed hotel was full, no others available. Days later, I was informed there was a deluxe room at the hotel for an extra payment.
Furthermore, having booked a 6 day cross country skiing holiday as beginners, we'd also booked a 90 minute lesson which we'd assumed would be on day 1. It was on day 2 and the hotel were unable to change this, which meant we spent day 1 falling over. If these booking issues can be improved, I can thoroughly recommend this trip for the fit!
Our cross country ski trip to Yllas,, Finland exceeded our expectations. The accommodations were fantastic, and the wide variety of trails accessible from our resort were extraordinary. Seeing the Northern Lights was truly a highlight of the trip.
I would highly recommend a stay at Yllashumina. The food was delicious and there’s excellent access to all the ski trails. If you’re lucky you’ll see the northern lights.
All aspects of the holiday were excellent. Skiing on loipes directly from the hotel; exceptionally comfortable hire boots; very good skis; well maintained loipes; lovely cafes en route; excellent food at the hotel with good choices; very helpful staff; wonderful saunas & great outdoor hot tub. Our hotel location was quiet & peaceful with Akaslompolo a half an hour's walk away for shops etc. Lots of snow. We were even lucky enough to see some Northern Lights one evening. A very enjoyable holiday.
I found Akaslompolo a top class destination for cross-country skiing. Snow conditions were excellent, which I consider essential. I will never again book a trip outside Scandinavia, because of unreliable snow conditions nowadays in central Europe. The network of ski trails is immense and it is easy to find trails with few other skiers. An unexpected pleasure was to find several cafes for skiers at strategic points. In late January, day length was not a problem, at 7 hours. Daytime temperature varied hugely, from -3C to -24C, so you need clothing for very cold conditions. Use local forecasts, not the BBC. The hotel was very comfortable with excellent food. There were many other activities that could be booked - I went to a reindeer farm only 1 km from the hotel. The only aspect people might find difficult is that that there was absolutely no "group dynamic" of Headwater customers. You need to be prepared to dine and ski just by yourself or in your own party.
This was a fabulous hiking holiday with great walks, lovely hotels and fantastic buffet breakfasts. This was our first self guided holiday and and I would definitely do one again as it provides an extra degree of freedom and independence. I’m not sure if the written walking guides were written by someone who speaks English as a first language as some of the instructions were ambivalent to say the least - especially at the start and ends of walks. We met two other people on the same holiday via Eurohike who also experienced some difficulty. For example the first days walk was stipulated as 18 km whereas by the time we finished it was 26 km!! Also landmarks had changed and that makes me wonder whether they generally need updating. We were also issues with a wrong return train ticket which if I had not checked could have caused us a problem returning to Munich. Notwithstanding this, we had an amazing time and Headwater we’re quick to respond to my questions prior and during the holiday.
A magical place for Christmas with an excellent family run hotel and plenty of good food. The snow was good, you could ski virtually out of the chalet and tracks well maintained. Ski instructors were excellent. There were other options if you did not want to ski all week such as snow shoeing, fat biking, downhill skiing, dog sledding and reindeer rides. Most of these were in another area not far from the hotel so the immediate vicinity of the hotel was not touristy and felt authentic and remote. This is not a group holiday and probably not for single travellers. Probably better if you've done cross country skiing before to get the most out of the week as you are not with a group unless you pay for lessons.
Excellent base for skiing and other winter activities. The ski tracks offer a variety of terrain and challenges, there is no charge for using the tracks which were well maintained throughout the week I was there. I would recommend the half board option because the food in the hotel is excellent and there are no better options that do not require travel by car or taxi. Ski equipment was good and the staff in the hire shop friendly and helpful, I did resent having to pay for my hire skis to be waxed.
A great holiday. Great trails and wonderful food. Yllas is a great location. We strongly recommend half board at the hotel. Room a little disappointing - very cramped. Initial transfer was late and it was a little confusing arriving at the airport but otherwise things went smoothly. Delighted not to have a rep. around. Ski Rental OK but ran out of boots in my size and landed up with some old (but very functional) boots. Would certainly visit again.
