Review Time
Im afraid the Greekl Islands cycling cruise didn't live up to the advertisement. 3 of the rides were very poor with busy and poor condition roads. One of the rides, advertised in the trip materials as outstanding was so poor that the organizers discouraged everyone from riding that day. Boat was clean but dated with mediocre rooms and some of the public spaces were given over to storage of bikes and equipment, it had slightly downmarket feel.Bathrooms smelled very bad and doors had to be kept closed. Island routing looked great in materials and had some super moments, but constant changes and often very busy with lots of herding on and off tenders and into ports.Boat and bike staff were lovely. Food was quite nice but wine terrible. Organization was quite erratic with lots of last minute changes (despite being repeat trip from previous 10 days), often sold as improvements, but usually not. I suspect many of the changes were for organizers to save money. Overall, just felt underwhelming, rushed. Organizer briefings were not my cup off tea, quite self-serving and at times bordering on rude - usually 1-2 hours of wasted time to which you are almost captive. Age demographics is old with lots of repeat customers - something of a cult like following, which just seems strange given the quality deficiencies.
I found this trip adequate at best. Bill is proud to say that his trips "aren't for everyone" and that he has a very loyal, returning clientele. I made the mistake of reading the sales pitch for this trip as if it was a cycling trip facilitated by a boat. In actuality, it is very much a cruise with bike riding as the activity. If you are the kind of person that loves to be a "tourist" herded along like cattle, then this trip is for you. Although the guides were promoted as Santana's own special guides with special access, they are run of the mill, hired guides just like all the others. They promoted their small size as giving them the flexibility to avoid the attractions where large cruise ships would be taking their passengers. False. MOST of the places we pulled up to had 2 or 3 LARGE cruise ships there at the same time. When we did something, there were still 200 of us heading to the same place at the same time, meaning groups of 50 trudging along with what they call "whispers"... a one way radio system for the tour guide to speak through. These systems are dodgy at best. They crackle, nothing but static on occasion and the volume ranges up and down because the guides refuse to wear the microphone properly which leads to their mouth being closer to and further away from the mic at any given time. Moving on from the "tours", to the boat, promoted as small so that it could get places the larger ships couldn't. All of this has been rendered moot with the new anti terrorist procedures in place. Ports that have cruise ships dock must have guarded access to the ship area to check people in and out of the gates. Smaller ports can't afford this training and staff and therefore you can only go to the larger ports. If the weather is rough or windy, you may not even be able to land where you are supposed to. Again, Bill is proud to say that they are able to adapt and change plans on the fly. This happened twice on our trip, the second time when we had already arrived at our destination in the morning. So, Bill said, we'll be to the new location in a couple of hours, just sit tight. This reduced our riding time for that day by more than 2 hours and left a lot of people sitting around bored. He sees coming up with anything as a win, I do not. The advertising says don't worry about packing up and moving from hotel to hotel, but I've never had a hotel say I can't unload and enter because the wind is too high. I've also never had a hotel not be there if I got to it ½ hour after I was supposed to. Making this feel like a very regimented go - go - go type of "vacation". You had to get up at 6:15 to get to breakfast for 6:30 so you could make the daily talk (ramblings) from Bill about what was on offer that day. Then you had to get dressed, organized and ready to go by 8am to retrieve your bike from the top deck of the ship and hand it off to the staff (for a limited time only) to take it through the ship to the shore. You then had to go to a different staircase and down and out of the ship to get your bike and start riding. Although there are 3 rides for the day 1. Short - altogether too short and easy every day, no cyclist wants to do this ride. 2. Medium, which is a reasonable distance, but because of the terrain sometimes contained VERY challenging amounts of climbing (ask Bill about his "gruesome" ratings). 3. Long, which on some days, no matter how fit you are, the basic math of speed and distance would not allow you to return to the ship on time for departure. Then, back on board, eat lunch (late), shower, dress and get ready for the 6:30pm talk about what tomorrow would bring. Then dinner at 7pm, thrown out of dinner at 9pm so staff can clean up and get to bed themselves. Back to the "small" ship (La Belle D'Ladriatique) that provided so many advantages. In actuality, as mentioned, the small ship benefit has been entirely negated by new regulations, which just left us on a small, very dated boat that was prone to a LOT of movement in even mildly rough seas. It was very noisy moving through rough water as it banged and splashed against the hull while you tried to sleep. Even worse, on a night we were docked, the giant fenders used to protect the ship from grinding against the dock squeaked LOUDLY all night long pinned between the boat and the dock. I eventually had to take a sleep aid to get to sleep. The staterooms are TINY and cramped. There are no legitimate king sized beds (on our floor anyway) they are all double beds with an awkward piece of foam stuffed into the gap if you want a "King". The shower doesn't have enough space to bend down to pick up something you might drop. You either have the curtain sucked up against you the whole time, or you have to press your back against the wall to get free of the curtain.I have had to truncate this review due to length restrictions.... but trust me, there is more to say.
Santana goes above and beyond in adventure and does not fail to deliver surprises of authentic cultural experiences, great rides and so much learning. The bike rides were well planned out and easy to navigate, taking us through villages, farms, and urban market areas so we could see the real world in Vietnam and Cambodia, and it's modern day life. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I felt taken care of and safe in 2 countries I was not so sure about when I left the US. The hotels were wonderful and the boat was so welcoming every time we came back from a ride, greeting us with a clean towel and fresh juice, we were pampered and happy. As guests, we were reassured that the places we visit would welcome us and teach us many things. We were treated to shows, a local school, how food is made, and special rides on carts along the way! It was ALWAYS an adventure. The group was very happy and relaxed together and I met wonderful people! I have always said seeing the world is best on a bike, but the Santana Adventure crew showed me it is also great to combine rides with cruising from one ride to the next. Brilliant vacation!
We just finished our eleventh Santana Adventures bike and boat trip. Each trip takes us to new and exotic locations that we get to enjoy on our bikes. This trip to Cambodia and Vietnam was different from any trip we’ve been on before. Each day revealed new experiences. We highly recommend Santana Adventures!
Another unforgettable Santana Cycling trip is in the books! This time, we explored the Mekong River, cruising through Vietnam and Cambodia. Although the rides weren't very long, they were perfect for discovering the stunning countryside and immersing ourselves in the rich Vietnamese and Cambodian cultures on two wheels. Before the pre-tour, we added five extra days to visit Hanoi, Sapa, and Phong Nha in northern Vietnam. As always, Santana delivered the best experience on two wheels.
We were lucky enough to be on the first Mekong river cruise and the trip exceeded all of our expectations. Bill and Jan always have wonderful surprises, such as exploring street food on the back of scooters, that no other travel company would attempt. It was the perfect blend of biking, cruising and cultural experiences.One of the many highlights of the trip was the warmth and friendliness of the people we encountered. We were able to see and have experiences that you could only have on a bike. Traveling with Santana is a unique experience that can’t be duplicated.
This was our tenth Santana trip, and we’ve signed up for five more over the next two years. We love that Santana gets to many places we’ve never been and gives us unique experiences even in places we’ve previously visited. The bike and boat model is the best way to explore new lands!
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Cycling Cruises around the world! New Destinations each year as Santana Adventures hand selects new exciting destinations for our Bike Cruises!
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