Kristina (trip leader) gave us that authentic sense that we had become part of the landscape and that stepping out of our comfort zones we had renewed our delight in the variety of what life has to offer; it may only come once as recent events have proven. Kristina, now with her new travel company, and her professional staff have the acumen and the enthusiasm to make it happen, to take the worry out of travel but not the personal accomplishment that comes with doing the extraordinary.

I was fortunate enough to take a 7 week trip along the Silk Road from Beijing to Istanbul. The knowledge and coordination required to manage this successfully is huge. Our Tour Leader, Kristina, certainly came up with the goods. Transport across 8 countries without missing a train or bus. Even when our bus broke down on the way to the station, she had the presence of mind to commandeer a local bus for us so we wouldn’t miss our train!  She co-ordinated seamless border crossings in some of the most remote and challenging environments, and hotel check-ins throughout were a breeze. She managed to balance her responsibility for the safety of the group with our freedom for independent exploration.

Key highlights for me were floating in the Dead Sea (a strange but incredible experience), standing on a stage that Socrates (Socrates!) himself spoke at and just absorbing the history, and finally, the evening when Kristina (trip leader) convinced a local shop owner to open up late at night so a few of us could do some shopping privately before we left the town – something that only she could do because of her rapport with the locals! Her knowledge of the different towns and cities we visited, as well as her understanding of the history at each place made this a magical trip of a lifetime.