Just got back from a lovely trek around the Picos de Europa. Everything went very smoothly as the details in our instructions were clear and precise and the partner company S-cape were outstanding. Everywhere taxi and bus transport were punctual, pick ups were flexible and the family run hotels and food were great. The walking was well organised. When the weather was superb we were able to do the more challenging days but there were plenty of lower level/shorter walks for the not so good weather. Looking forward to taking another holiday with this company.

Very belatedly (a group of 6 friends early May 2014)I wanted to say how much I enjoyed my recent guided walking holiday in Morocco arranged through New Experience Holidays. The office was always helpful and I found the arrangements to be excellent, from our meeting and transfer on arrival at Marrakesh airport to the final transfer at the end; the hotels were all excellent (Clefs Du Sud Riad in the Medina, Village de Toubkal only reachable on foot in Imlil and Chez Momo with a fabulous garden and pool in Ouirgane, and the staff could not have been more helpful in Imlil and Ouirgane; the walks, while sometimes tougher than I had anticipated, were all fascinating and our guides had the good judgement and foresight to adapt them to our general walking abilities. I would like to flag up Ibrahim Jellal, the guide we had for the Imlil section of the walking; quite simply, he was excellent and so thoughtful and caring without making it obvious that he was always aware of how we were keeping up with him and coping with the terrain under foot. And he was informative about anything related to Morocco and Berber life that we thought to ask. The pre-travel information was also useful as were the notes on each destination. Having been on 8 self-guided tours with another company I luxuriated in being guided - essential on this trip as waymarking is non-existant - enabling us to arrive in good time at our hotel to relax and enjoy the facilities as well as happy in the knowledge that we would not get lost. London SE5

Dominica,(not to be confused with the Dominican Republic)is a small and stunning volcanic island in the Caribbean and it was here we enjoyed our second walking holiday organised by New Experience. Once again, the accommodation was fabulous as was the walking. The organisation of the holdiay was excellent and information received comprehensive, as before. Our first holiday with New Experience was to Santo Antao, Cape Verde (review below). I would thoroughly recommend this holiday company.

We have been on ten self guided holidays but this was our first one with New Experience. We have now booked two more holidays with New Experience and I think that says every thing about the company. We loved the holiday, everything was as we expected. To start with compared to other companies it was great value. The walking was moderate to easy, the hotels were small and very good, food was excellent. We were in an area where we have never been before and the whole area was uncommercialised and excellent for walking. We will be returning to trhe area in the near future.

What a way to end the new year and start another with walks in El Heirro. Fantastic views and walks with wonderful company and excellent guide. The hotel was spotless and the staff were wonderful could not do enough for you and on New Years Eve gala night the staff worked so hard to accommodate everyone's needs. All the travel arrangements went like clockwork especially as we had two flights, one taxi and a hired car. We were met at the hotel by the guide who talked us through the walks and showed us around the hotel. This was most welcoming when you arrive tired after your journey and are in a new country not knowing the area. This is the third time we have travelled with New Experience holidays and every year we think they cannot get any better but they never fail to amaze us. thank you see you again soon

Our group of 17 people from the Glens of Antrim Rambling Club spent two weeks at the Hotel Alpenblick in Bad Gastein. The hotel is very comfortable with a good range of spa facilities including a sauna, steam room and thermal bath. There is a beautifully kept garden with a small heated outdoor pool and the opportunity to try various therapies. The owners of the hotel, Elizabeth and her daughter Claudia are exceptionally hospitable and helpful and can offer advice on local transport and anything to do with walking in the area. The hotel staff were very pleasant and attentive and the food was excellent. The local supermarket is some distance from the hotel and guests may either order packed lunches or else make up their own at the breakfast table for a very reasonable charge. There is a variety of walks in the area from the fairly demanding like the walk over the old Roman road to Carinthia with a train journey back through a tunnel bored through the mountain and the ridge walk from Stubnerkogel to Sportgastein to reasonably flat walks along the valley floor and the circular nature walk at Sportgastein. Our party stayed for two weeks and we extended the range of walking by travelling south to Mallnitz by train. It is fair to say that everyone in our group would thoroughly recommend this holiday organised by New Experience.

From start to finish New Experience organised the holiday to perfection. Our special request of 3 days in Malta to sightsee was not an issue; they found us an ideal central location and arranged everything. Gozo was then the perfect antidote, relaxed, great hotel, stunning setting and wonderful walks. Our guides were knowledgeable and added so much to the experience. We opted for a personal guide which made it even more special. We also managed self guided walks which were easy and fun, its a holiday with a relaxed pace not perhaps one for those wishing to have a massive adventure. However, if walking is not enough there are dive school everywhere, horse trekking and more, so despite tiny you can never be bored on Gozo. Think about your time of year, May was hot and think summer far too hot to walk as shade minimal. Would highly recommend and will book with again.

We have just returned from a multi-centre holiday in the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. We have been on many New Experience holidays and as usual the staff there provided a friendly and personal service. We were met at the airport and transferred to our first hotel (Dar Anika in Marrakesh - excellent hotel with fabulous breakfasts). Our first walking base was in the Ourika Valley where we met out first guide Hussain. He was excellent and told us much interesting information that we would not have known had we been walking by ourselves. A guide is essential since none of the paths are marked! Onto Imlil and our second guide (also excellent). The walking was varied and not too strenuous, although the guides will tailor the routes to suit your ability/inclination. All the hotels were characterful with friendly staff - this is normal on a New Experience holiday. We finished up with 3 days on the beach at Essaouira, the Villa Quieta is highly recommended, it used to be a palace and the public rooms are amazing. Once again an excellent holiday and we can't wait to book the next one.

Last year four of us trekked up to Annapurna Basecamp, a great experience, but this year we wanted to spend more time in the foothills area. Starting with a night in Kathmandu is great, but Pokhara is a fabulous place to spend a relaxing time surrounded by great views. Walk starts 1 hr drive from there. Trekking is hard but ok, especially in shorts and T shirt. Lots of tea stops. Lodges are basic but food choice is good and sleeping ok. Most now have western toilets which make it easier. Hot showers everywhere. Great days walking, you are close to the massive mountains. If you want to add anything to your itinerary I would suggest extra days at the end in Pokhara for sightseeing,good food and relaxing in the sun. Also , make sure you fly between Kathmandu and Pokhara, the roadtrip is challenging.

Originally, my partner was searching for the perfect location for a "blobby" holiday for us in a warm/hot climate but without the jetlag. He said "what about Cape Verde?" so I got into research mode and that's when I happened upon New Experience and discovered the amazing walking opportunities on the beautiful island of Santo Antao. We are walkers anyway and I thought this holiday sounded far more exciting, adventurous and the island more beautiful and unspoilt than lying on a beach for a week in Sal. I wasn't wrong! New Experience are a family-run holiday company and everyone I spoke to was friendly and approachable. They were interested and always happy to help with any query. We arrived in Sao Vincente with all the information we could need to assist us on our holiday and the daily arrangements for meeting our guide and drivers etc. were excellent. This was quite complicated being a hotel-to-hotel trek but I can't think of anything that was overlooked. We had chosen the guided option and do not regret it. Our guide was a lovely young local man, proud of and unbelievably knowledgeable about his island - and also European football! His English was good and he enhanced our experience of Santo Antao considerably. Being able to talk the local language he could act as our interpreter too. He also made us feel very safe - we knew we could not get lost and you're often a LONG way from any kind of road! Our only hiccup was on entry into Cape Verde at the airport. Immigration claimed not to have documentation to say our visas had been prepaid, so we had to pay again. On arrival at our first lodgings we called the local rep who was with us in 5 mins and when we returned to that hotel before our flight home, the cash refund was waiting for us. Very good service. The accommodation was good. (You are not there for hotel luxury). All hotels/pensions were really clean, the rooms generally spacious and bright and most had spectacular views. Two had balconies. Food provided was predominantly good though we felt a couple of places could have tried a bit harder. The walks for us were perfect (59 & 60 yrs) - challenging and rewarding, but manageable. All beautiful. The list of things to bring that New Experience provided was really useful. It included "Buffs". I had never before heard of a "Buff", but bought a couple of thin ones and they saved our ears and sunburnt hands! In addition on the list were long sleeved shirts and floppy hats which also saved us from being frazzled. You are walking most of the day, it is hot and there is rarely shade. Included with our information packs were hiking maps of the two islands we visited. I believe they are not that easy to get hold of so this was a real bonus and they were much used and enjoyed. I would recommend New Experience Holidays and would have no hesitation in using them again for any future walking holidays.

We went on a walking holiday in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco in November 2012. From the moment we first contacted New Experience everything was a pleasure. All the arrangements were flawless. The hotels were interesting, in keeping with local decor and culture, and warm and welcoming. The walks were glorious ( we were fortunate with the weather), contouring up valleys, across cols, and between beautifully located Berber villages (and a Marabout shrine). All the trails had wonderful views along their entire length. Our guide, Mohamed Jellah, was friendly and full of local lore and history,and had contacts along the way. His kindness and his local knowledge enriched our hiking immensely.

Fast response, good prices, very helpful with queries. Kept updated with the travel arrangements which were booked over a holiday period only 2 weeks before departure. Itinerary and paperwork clear and concise with options provided.

In common with many travellers, we have visited Greece many times over the years, always taking in a new destination. Some friends of ours who also have a love of Greece suggested that we try the Peloponnese. I browsed the internet and came across 'New Experience Holidays'. Their website was excellent and I began to explore the possibiltity of trekking in the 'Outer Mani' area with them. I found their staff to be very patient and helpful in response to my initial enquiries, whether by email or by telephone. Eventually we decided on a two week break - the first week doing a 'self guided trek' and the second week enjoying a more leisurely time in Kardamili. Prior to leaving the UK, we received all the relevant information, ie: maps, walking routes etc. We were collected at the airport by 'Nikos' who was to be our taxis driver for the week, taking us to the start of walks or collecting us at the end of a walk - he was brilliant, very flexible, knowledgeable and likeable. This was also the case with 'Denia', our local guide in Kardamili. It is not my intention to describe each walk in detail - have a look on the New Experience website where you can view the itinerary for your self! Suffice to say, each walk is different and by the end of the week you do feel that you have sampled enough of the landscapes that make the 'Outer Mani' such a wonderful place to explore. Our accommodation during our stay was excellent - each hotel a little different - most had light cooking facilities in the room, so if your B&B, the option is to make a light evening meal or take in a local taverna - very flexible and ideal if you don't want to be tied to meal times. The walking guides provided by New Experience detailing each walk, are well written and easy to follow but do bear in mind that your own walking pace may mean that you arrive at a point, sooner or later than the time specified. Also, a dirt tract may have been recently asphalted. However, generally speaking it is hard to get lost if you follow the routes closely. There are also many references to worthwhile stopping off points, like churches to view wall paintings and frescoes. One more relevant point to mention - we met a couple in Kardamili who had also travelled with New Experience the previous year. Their airport departure had been cancelled due to the volcanic ash emission from Iceland. A call to New Experience resulted in them being re-routed from Manchester to Newcastle airport and subsequently their holiday was saved with very little time having been lost. So there you are - two recommendations in one review! Geoff & Carole Urch.