1 independent reviews for Ocean discovery tour of the Azores
Reviews for Ocean discovery tour of the Azores
Catherine Gurling review 22 May 2023
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Land and seascapes. Loved the verdancy (want to come back as a cow in Sao Miguel in my next animal life!) and the craters. One hot spring was disappointing but the Velha one wasn't. We could have done with more time there2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure the Hotel has a bar, restaurant, and outside seating space. Although our hotel was central, definitely an advantage, it was tiresome to have to go anywhere else at the end of a long day. Think Gaynor forgot about the festival the fifth Sunday after Easter and found it difficult to book us into a hotel. Neat Hotel was the equivalent of a Premier Inn. Ponta Delgado was packed. Two nights we picnicked in our rooms as booking a restaurant even early in the week was impossible!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
All local suppliers so good in that respect. Lots of fuel used in whale-watching boats!4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Below Review I sent to the company:- Visiting the Sao Miguel Island of the Azores was well worthwhile. If I'm asked what and where I would come back as an animal I think it would be a cow on Sao Miguel! The spring verdancy and lushness were amazing. Everything with the local operator worked well, helpful and cheerful. With the benefit of hindsight, I would miss out on the Furnas trip. The thermal spring and the meal weren't the best, to put it mildly. The other trip to the East and the Velha Thermal Springs we booked ourselves was better. It would perhaps be better to alternate land and sea trips. The hotel while adequate was without a bar or restaurant which in the run-up and during the festival proved difficult. It was impossible to book elsewhere in reasonable restaurants so we ended up picnicing in our rooms for two nights. It was however very handily central to the old town. Once out of the room and the card key removed, the electricity supply to the room and all recharging of devices ceased. Bit annoying at first. The coffee was awful at breakfast. I knew Portuguese food was not always good from previous experience but I was reminded of the dreariness of boiled potatoes and soggy vegetables plus protein menu too often! The journey out was grueling. The plane was late leaving, was stacked over Sao Miguel Airport due to fog/cloud for just short of an hour, and eventually landed at the US Airport on Terceira and refuelled. Pretty spectacular huge airstrip. Doors open but no disembarkment. After 40 minutes we took off and landed on a clear Sao Miguel airstrip. We did not reach the hotel until around 5 pm. No one's fault but the journey knocked the stuffing out of me after the 4 am start that day. Stansted is awful! A human zoo! No perhaps more like mass animal husbandry with poor welfare standards! Ryanair is Ryanair! I suspect going via Lisbon would have been quicker. Think that's all..? I would revisit Sao Miguel but perhaps later in June to see the hydrangeas in bloom, which are obviously spectacularHoliday Reviews
You can trust Responsible Travel reviews because, unlike many other schemes, reviews can ONLY be written by people who we have verified have been on the holidays. In addition, we don't run these holidays ourselves - our only interest is giving you the best independent advice.
