I've just returned from the Riviera Splendour holiday. What a fantastic trip!
A big Thank You to Freddy our tour manager who struck the right balance....... he gave you interesting facts about the locations and all the necessary meeting arrangements without going into 'information overload!' He also demonstrated a caring and considerate nature particularly in regard to an incident involving one of the older members of the group. I wouldn't hesitate to do another tour with him.
The excursions were fabulous! The weather couldn't have been better. It's busy if you do everything, which I always do but I wouldn't want to have left anything out. Having said that, I personally would have preferred the itinerary to have either by passed Ventimiglia altogether or to have spent less time there and spent more at Isolabona where we enjoyed the most delicious Italian lunch and wine tasting and then onto the equally delightful Dolceaqua.
I do have two negatives 😞 The food at the hotel was pretty awful. I think they were trying to cater for the supposed bland taste of the English. The results were often indescribable at the evening meal. Luckily there are two nights when you can eat elsewhere which we gladly did! The other downside was the different variety of noises which awoke you early mornings. These are actually nothing to do with the hotel directly but they did become a daily talking point and eventually a source of amusement. From the noisiest seagulls I've ever heard, the ghostly sound of the wind under the door making you wake with a start, the dustcarts at 3 am, the 4:45am daily express train whizzing by and finally on the last two days a guest who moved into the room next door and snored for Italy!!!!!
All these however did not detract from my enjoyment of the holiday. The staff at the hotel were lovely and friendly and if you speak in Italian to them they really appreciate it. I would just suggest they change the chef !!!!!
Judith M