Press reviews for Away from the Crowds holidays and tours.
A selection of articles and reviews about our travel agency and holidays that have appeared in the press.
A donkey called Flirty
The donkey had only one gear - first.
By Sophie Raworth.The Daily Telegraph, 2019
His name was Ligoncete, which means “Flirty” in Spanish – and from the moment he was led, reluctantly, from his trailer into the village square, this 10-year-old donkey worked his magic on our three children.
We’d be in sole charge of the four-legged charmer for the next three days. After a quick lesson in how to tack him up, saddle him and feed him (and in where to leave him at night so he didn’t run away), we set off on our long walk.
Love at first bike
Off the beaten path in Spain
By Larry Rice.Adventure Cycling, 2013
Having traveled to some 35 countries and canoed on all seven continents, I’m sometimes asked: "Where else besides the U.S. would you like to live?"
The answer to this provocative question unexpectedly came to me during an October 2013 bicycle tour in a place I didn’t expect it — Spain.
The perfect companion
The best family holiday in donkey's years
By Clover Stroud.The Observer, 2009
Above I can hear a skylark screaming in the endless deep blue sky, and behind me I feel the looming presence of the white peaks of the Guadarrama mountains.
Apart from the skylark, there isn't much sound.
My children, unfolded but still sleepy after the flight, are quiet as they walk beside me, and all I hear is the clop-clop of a donkey's feet on the track we're following through the foothills.
Virtually Brit-free
Cycling (with knobs on) in Extremadura, Spain
By Patrick Collinston.The Guardian, 2013
Our route to Plasencia takes us hurtling down the mountainside and past river gorges. We realise the designers of this route torture you (a little) at first, then start rewarding you with treats.
Plasencia is a revelation. Given the tens of millions of foreign visitors Spain welcomes every year almost nothing is "undiscovered". Yet maybe this really is it. A walled market town, unspoilt by tourism, with a lively market square, and the most stunning Parador.
A bucket of water in 30 seconds
Family time way off the beaten trek
Family donkey trekking adventure.
By Liam Stebbing.The Irish Times, 2009
As we set off, crossing our fingers that the donkeys don't add to the spectacle by relieving themselves as we make our way up the street, a handful of elderly locals chuckle and joke with each other, perhaps wondering why on earth we'd choose a mode of transport they were glad to wave goodbye to many decades ago.
We'd probably stare, too, if a group of tourists came up the main street of our village in Ireland with a horse and cart, but these few days are about bonding with the kids while we get back to nature in beautiful surroundings – with the prospect of a hearty Spanish meal to replenish us at the end of each day's trek.
Get under the skin of Spain
Trans-Iberian: cycling Spain's ancient Via de La Plata.
Cycling The Roman Route to Salamanca
By Susan Greenwood.The Guardian, 2010
... our view from those saddles was always arresting, the route expertly chosen to provide us with a snapshot of the area's eclectic terrain, with cars noticeable only by their absence.
We rode from mountains embraced by the experienced outdoorsman to pastoral villages, flatter farmland and finally a long, open stretch into Salamanca, dotted with the yellow markers of the Via de la Plata ...
On a Donkey
Following in the footsteps of Shepherds
By Just Landed.Just Landed, 2008
Go for a walk with a donkey? Telling a few people about this journey was met with smiles and laughter; then interest. When you explain that the idea is to experience what travelling used to be like and have an adventure, you spark people’s interest.