David B.
Yelp
Vagabond tour- Larry as guide
7 day North by Northwest tour
July 8th start date
4.5 stars out of 5 for the entire trip
This was my first guided tour in a foreign country, so I was a bit skeptical on whether or not it was for me. I'm generally a "want the flexibility to do what I want" kind of guy, but this vacation I made an exception.
Our Guide:
Larry was our tour guide, and for past 7 days he was like a distant family member who was proud of his homeland and wanted to convert as many people as possible to the Irish ways. Larry had an answer to almost all our questions regarding local customs and traditions. On a daily basis we got a taste of Irish music sung by Larry himself. Move over Bing Crosby hello Larry!
Larry always kept his cool and kept us inline when we attempted to stray from the plan. This will happen when you have 10 different people wanting to do their own thing at times. You could always ask Larry a question, he was never intimidating. He even explained Hurling to us during the provincial semi-finals -Those cheating Kilkarney b*$@&!" Go Waterford! He's also a very good driver. He knows the country back roads very well. Rob lucked out when he hired Larry.
Larry is a good egg.
Transportation:
The "Vagatron", as it's referred as, is a modified Land Rover that will fit 12' but during the trip you will be in the Vagatron quite a bit of driving from one site to another (How else are you going to get around?). We had 10 in our party, and we were comfortable for most of our 1 hour jaunts from location A to B. The rolling and bumpy bog land from Derry to county Donegal, can be a bit taxing if you get car sick, but was well worth the beautiful views of the Irish countryside. You won't see this Ireland from a big bus. I get car sick pretty easy, but I was able to make it. I was sitting in the back during that leg of our tour which is the springiness section of the vehicle. The last day was mostly travel back to Dublin. We did stop to see one site and the ferry ride across to co. Kerry, but it was about it. You ask "What I would have liked?", if tour had an ice chest and that as a group we ponied up a set amount for the trip and had it filled with water, soft drinks and snacks for times we were in the rover. We did stop in towns to stock up, but I think it would have been a value added accessory on the tour.
Accommodations:
All hotels and B&B's are considered 3 stars. I thought all accommodations were totally acceptable for a shower and sleep. Most of the hotels are kept up-to-date; the older hotels are niche hotels that use skeleton keys and are full of history. We were in our rooms for only 6 hours (at best) due to the local pubs. There was one exceptional B&B and that was the strand house in Portstewart. The rooms, breakfast and the hostess Earnestine were exceptional. This is place where you want to hangout and just relax. It was the first place I had real Irish oatmeal. I would consider staying there a whole week.
The Sights and Sounds:
Being on the move as much as we were, we had the opportunity to see and participate in the many attractions and beauty that Ireland had to offer. We went on what I would consider a few beginning level hikes, in the country hillsides and bogs. I would call them as easy hikes being an intermediate hiker myself. For example: I would have made St. Patrick's peak in 2 hours, given the large rocks that make the path for at least 1/2 of the trail up to the peak, but only had time to make it up to the saddle, which is still beautiful. Belfast was an education and makes you really reflect on the history of Ireland and tis troubles. The one thing I've learned about my trip to Ireland is that I will reconsider complaining about the small stuff. The Irish have had to make due with very little resources under smothering conditions and for so long. The country side and its people are some of the most beautiful I've seen for a country of little natural resources.
Fellow passengers:
Like in every tour with people from different walks of life, personalities will come into play, and we had most of them. However the group found a way to play well and enjoy the entire trip as a group. Sure a few folks would hang to themselves, but you'd get sick of me too if you're around the same folks 18 hours a day. Overall I enjoyed all the company in our party. We are even collaborating on a scrapbook.
The weather:
Was the best weather since 2006! No rain, and the only fog was up north which we drove around.
And yes I got an Irish tan.
Improvements:
Laundry: I only wanted to bring three changes of clothes to Ireland (packing lite on this trip) and unfortunately most of them were for cold weather. If you go on the 7 day tour, take at least 5 days and prepare yourself to do Landry in the r
