Big Round World Reviews 43

Overall an enjoyable trip. The single use of the hotel room was great, including the view of the Dolomite mountain range.Most of the hikes were great, although the initial explanation of the hikes in the literature was incomplete. Since this was the inaugural trip to this region I'm sure a lot of the issues and confusion will be corrected on the next trip. The other group members were fun to be with although their were some conflicts with meal times and some other minor issues, which is always the case with a group trip.I would recommend to anybody this is an enjoyable trip.

The Italian Dolomites are stunning, and BRW is such an easy, happy way to experience them: a lovely breakfast at a nice hotel, a cab ride all lined up to the trailhead of a well chosen trek, a cab to meet you at the end of a good strenuous hike, and a nice local dinner at a well chosen restaurant. What could be better? The trains in Italy are fantastic, so if you throw in a trip to, say, Milan, afterward, you have the best of all (hiking/city) worlds. Bolzano was a great place for our BRW meet-up and to get over jet lag, and the Cortina Express back to Venice was excellent. I would happily take this trip all over again, and isn't THAT the measure of a great time?

C2C splendid!
Deidre....beautifully planned, experienced leader, paid attention to individual strengths and needs of team members, smart and FUN! She can herd cats.
Local guides.... wonderful additions to our group as we crossed 3 national parks
Group.... fit, fun, kind.
B and B’s.....all great!
Highly recommend Big Round World!
I look forward to going on more BRW adventures.

I had a wonderful experience hiking on the Coast to Coast Path. I took over one thousand pictures and I am still processing them. I also really appreciated Deidre's touring expertise. She did everything but walk for me and always with laughter and a smile. I would highly recommend the trip.

C2C A hike across England
Very well organized and with a thoughtful plan for a hiking adventure through a beautiful and history-rich countryside.

We had an excellent hiking tour of many of the highlights of the Dolomites. The views were spectacular, the two leaders were experienced, thoughtful, and helpful. and the exposure to the culinary diversity of Cortina was an extra benefit.

The trip leaders provided a fun and safe hiking experience in a magnificently beautiful environment. The leaders were always supportive, helpful, and attentive to our needs. Our lodgings were comfortable and lovely. The meals were scrumptious.

The Hike Across England including Hadrian's Wall was a phenomenal trip, expertly blending quality hiking with history, culture, local guides, and carefully planned accommodations. Because Deirdre is meticulous in her planning, my husband and I (who have never hiked before) were well-equipped, perfectly outfitted with the proper gear, and fully understood the physical demands of each day. In fact, we found the days' hikes to be a bit less strenuous than we'd anticipated, with plenty of stops, breaks, hillside lunches, and anecdotal stories from our daily guest leaders. The two rest days were timed well and allowed for plenty of shopping and self-guided time. From the ancient history of Hadrian's Wall, to a private performance in a historic church on an antique organ, to details and sightings of rare flora and fauna, fields and fields of lambs and heather and stone walls and GREEN, to hiking techniques, lessons in orienteering, conservation, mining, farming, and geological treasures, to evening meals of culinary excellence and evening programming featuring volunteer mountain rescue personnel and private musical concerts - all with so many breathtaking views and vistas... I'm so glad I took extensive photos and video footage so we can relive the adventure! Already thinking about the next trip with Deirdre. We will definitely be repeat customers!

We just returned from a very exciting Coast to Coast hike across England with Big Round World! What an experience we had with our wonderful leader, Deirdre. She knows her stuff!
Deirdre was ready with an answer to any and every issue that came up, to how to tie my shoes to help my toes, to using my hiking sticks, and on and on. She has an eye for seeing something we might try to correct an issue and we appreciated that a lot.
My only suggestion would be to maybe slow the pace a bit when we wanted to stop and take photos or just enjoy the view. I know we had a really fit group who wanted to hike pretty fast but there were a few times we felt a little rushed. However, we just stopped and took it all in and caught up when necessary.
All in all, this was a wonderful, beautiful, educational and fantastic trip and I would recommend it to anyone who loves hiking in a beautiful country. The attention to detail and the wonderful places we stayed, and the good food are greatly appreciated. Thanks Deirdre

The scenery was lovely, the company was congenial and the length and pace of each day's hike was perfect. Deirdre's leadership was -- as usual -- excellent. I liked the daily combinations of cultural and historical elements with the hiking. Local expert Phillipe taught us so much about the birds, plants and trees in the area.

Hotel was adequate but far from any town and impractical for any alternate activities. Comfortable but would not move the needle of a charm scale. I was surprised we stayed in the same place the entire trip and were bused, often for over an hour, to the hiking sites. More hiking than I could handle, not their fault, but I wish I had a better idea of the venue.
Attentive and knowledgeable guides, beautiful towns and countrysides. Good dinners.

Accuracy of the description of the trip, organization of the trip, and execution of the trip are the criteria on which I am basing this review.The trip was accurately described in advance by Ms. Deirdre Butler, the trip leader. The trip was well organized in that lodging, transportation, and eating were very highly integrated with the hiking. And then the trip was executed as it had been planned. The trip was further enhanced by Ms. Butler’s familiarity with the Tavistock and Dartmoor area, the invitation of people who live in the area to speak to and hike with us, and the warm and gracious hospitality of Ms. Butler’s sisters who live in the area.

I was honored to participate in Big Round World's maiden adventure, Exploring Less Trodden Trails in Southern England, led by Big Round World founder, Deirdre Butler. Deirdre is a gifted leader, I would go anywhere with her. Her preparation is meticulous, the trip description spot on. Our exploration of moors in Dartmoor National Park was a blending of past into present that a required a sensitive awareness of place that Deirdre provided through her own skill and the perspective of local people invited along on our treks. It was more than a series of hikes, it was an immersion into a culture determined by place (a magical place) that spanned centuries.

Dartmoor is a unique place and I had a great trip!

The landscape and history were amazing and I learned a lot. But the best part was the trip leader. She created an environment of trust and care that turned a group of strangers into a community that looked out for each other. She was not only knowledgeable but cheerful and attentive to small details. I can't recommend Big Round World highly enough!