Motorhome Escorted Tours. Fun or Folly?

  We have just returned from a lovely two month stay in Portugal. A month at Touristcampo in Lagos and a month at Camping Ria Formosa near Tavira. If you want a review of both these sites look back at previous blog posts 2022 and 2023. On one of the stops travelling up through France at Only camp Tours, we bumped into a lovely couple who had the same marque van as our Krystal. Of course we had to stop for a chat, this was only the second "Vantage " we had met on this trip.

Only Camp Tours incidentally is very handy stopping place on the way North or South. Easy access and open all year and they accept ACSI Only Camp Tours . Great facilities and lovely local pizza place a five minute walk away.

The couple we chatted to in the Vantage  Neo van just happened to be on an Escorted Tour of the Loire. Whilst having a chat with them, we realised we were surrounded by other Brit vans, I counted at least 10. The memories of our experiences with escorted tours came flooding back! In this blog I thought a very personal review of "Escorted Tours" may be useful to some. 

There are loads of companies now offering Escorted Tours for motor homers and caravan owners. The prices vary greatly depending on what's on offer. Some offer meals, tours, ferry crossings and more. All of them come with the services of "tour guides" usually well experienced people either through organisations like ACSI or privately run companies. The length of the tours also seem to depend on where they are going. Prices vary from per unit to per person. It's a good idea to carefully check what is actually covered and to factor in additional personal costs i.e. getting to the start of the tour, fuel costs, visas, insurance, getting home, all these costs soon add up.

We did two escorted tours both in 2018 with the Camping & Caravanning Club. One to Russia via the Baltics and one to Greece. Both these trips were written up in this blog, scroll back to the appropriate year. I do not intend to specifically re write these blogs just a few things you may wish to consider if you plan an escorted tour. Other experiences we have of escorted tours are those we have met on our independent travels and our experience of touring Africa not "Escorted" but following in the footsteps of a tour again organised by the Camping and Caravanning Club.

In late 2017 I happened to spot an article in  the Camping & Caravanning Club magazine advertising an information event by the club on escorted tours, at the Haynes Motor Museum. At £5 per person including lunch and entry to the museum, it was an offer not to be refused. We spent a very enjoyable day listening to all the presentations about the various tours and signed up for Russia and Greece both for the following year. So, 5 years later I can offer a few insights on escorted tours.

The reasons people go are varied,

• To meet like minded travellers who share a common hobby
• People who want to develop confidence for future tours
• An easy way to see a lot of "sights" with little personal organisation
• First time motor homers
• Motor homers who for various reasons prefer to be with others who could help them if needed.
• Single people who prefer to be with a group.

We wanted to go on a well organised trip to places we would not necessarily go on our own.

 

We did make it to St Petersburg. 

Later that year we did Greece.

Our first encounter with escorted tours was our trip to Africa. We decided we did not want to travel in a motorhome with a large group so we opted instead for a 4 X 4 with roof tent. We organised the holiday with Bobo Campers in South Africa through the Camping & Caravanning Club in 2017 using the same route and camp sites as the escorted group although we were on our own and just over a week behind them. This worked very well for us.

We felt our 4X4 with roof tent worked better on the terrain of dust roads in Africa than a motorhome.

We were more than happy to manage ourselves!

The escorted tour used motorhomes but also had accompanying mechanics as well as tour guides. 

To sum up this is our personal list of pros and cons. Every one will have their own views, this is just what we think.

CONS:

Although you do not travel in convoy, vans will inevitably arrive and leave sites at around the same time each day.

Remember to factor in additional costs and time. Sometimes tours start far away. The Russia trip began in Poland and the Greek trip started in San Marino.

A large number of vans arriving on sometimes small sites, put pressure on the facilities. There will always be some competition for the best pitches. Electric hook ups sometimes have to be shared.

Social events are supposed to be optional, We did not want to join in with everything. 20 or so  people travelling together have a large number of birthdays, anniversaries etc to celebrate. Be prepared for ultra socialisation.

Meals out mean large tables and often pre selected food. Seating 20 people presents challenges and tables for two not usually available. Joint mealtimes could be stressful for some. Veggies and people with special diets take note! 

However social you are, you are basically living in close proximity with fellow travellers. Be prepared for a lot of give and take

A lot of the tours are to places that are high on the tourist agenda. Be prepared for crowds at popular tourist venues.

Conducted tours can be really enjoyable but you are always with a large group.

Early starts especially on tour days, some people find this trying and you always have to wait for someone.

We hated the group meetings but some people found they were the highlight of the day!

The trip was very dependant on the expertise and people skills of the group leaders.

No control over the campsites to be stayed at and the facilities.

Free time on tours mean you will still unavoidably be with the same crowd. We often found it impossible to find a small restaurant or cafe which hadn't already been discovered by our fellow travellers.

Can be very expensive, Do all the sums!

PROS

A good way of seeing places you may not be confident enough to do on your own.

Usually well organised.

Sites and tours paid for in advance.

Maps and routes usually well provided.

People around to help out in an emergency. 

Good for socialising if you are so inclined.

All in all, not for us but it did help us to organise ourselves, we have been back to Greece on our own since. the last time we were there we met up with a touring French group. As they met up for their regular briefing we went to the swimming pool and breathed a sigh of relief, we were on our own!!

We really are not anti social and quite friendly in small groups. Always ready for a chat.😎😎😎😎

Would we do another escorted tour...NO!

Africa Revisited. Self Drive Safari. Namibia. Delightful Deserts.

The next part of our trip took us over some amazing mountain passes, through deserts, sand dunes and across to the Atlantic Ocean. Namibia is truly a country of stunning landscapes and complete solitude. We travelled desert roads without seeing another vehicle for hundreds of kilometres. Leaving Etosha National Park we travelled southeast on the C38 towards Outjo which was a good place for shopping. We spent a night at Igowati Lodge in Khorixas, not recommended! It was noisy, the ablution block was disgusting and there was a dead lizard in the outside washing up sinks. However the restaurant meal and entertainment by a cultural group Aba's Khan was surprisingly good.

Our dash cam of part of the journey. Around 13 minutes.

Khorixas as a town did not offer much, so we drove out 50 k west, along a very dusty gravel road, over the mountains to explore a tourist attraction the Petrified Forest. The Petrified Forest was declared a National Monument in 1950 after being discovered by two farmers in 1940. The Petrified Forest consists of a number of trees washed down from the rivers in the Ice Age, which are now fossilised. We had a great local guide who walked us through the site and was very knowledgeable, it was good to know that local people were being trained and encouraged in this way. We also saw the Welwitschia Mirabillis, the national plant of Namibia ( on the back of its coinage) they live for hundreds of years on very little water. It looks very unspectacular, looks can be deceptive.

The poison produced from this thorn tree was used by local tribesmen for poisoned arrows.

The famous Welwitschia, 500 years old, it doesn't look much! Called a "living fossil" it was named after Fredrich Welwitsch a botanist who discovered the plant in the mid - 19th century in Angola. Some Welwitschia are said to be 1500 years old and are endemic to the Namib desert.

From the Petrified Forest we continued over the mountains to see the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain. The Organ Pipes are a geological rock formation near Twyfelfontein, so called because the rocks look just like organ pipes. 

The colours in the desert of the rock formations were fabulous, we thought the Organ Pipes were slightly over rated. We persevered and moved on to view the Burnt Mountain a short drive up the track. I expect at sunrise and sundown the mountain looked spectacular, in the middle of a hot afternoon it looked, well like a mountain. More interesting was the fact that the ladies selling the tickets to view these two tourist attractions were avidly reading an Avon catalogue. Bizarre, to find that in the middle of nowhere. I asked how long the stuff took to come they said it was very expensive but worth it and it arrived pretty quickly in about three to four months! 

 The track leading up to the organ pipes.

Parked up near the Burnt Mountain. 

It had been a long busy day driving through the mountains, though dusty it had been worth the bumping around. We were quite relieved to be leaving Igowati Lodge, our next stop was near the Brandberg Mountains at the White Lady Campsite. Not a long drive so we arrived early. A bit disappointed with this site. We were greeted by the friendly owner, who told us there was no restaurant or bar but that we could drive out to the town if we wanted to eat out. We decided to cook our own food and have a relaxing stay. It was very hot and there was only limited shade we found a spot on some very uncomfortable chairs by the pool. Sadly, this site too had seen better days, one of the two pools was unusable and the other pool looked like it needed a clean. Worst were the toilet facilities which were cleanish but had shower curtains for doors even on the toilets. Fortunately there was only one other couple on the site camping.

Through the mist of the Namib Desert you can just make out the Brandburg Mountain. The Brandberg in Damaraland is the highest point in Namibia above sea level. Brandburg means "fire mountain" because of it's colour.

A stopping point in the desert. Complete with bins and picnic table. We wondered how often the bins were emptied.

 

A hard life for people living in this harsh environment miles from anywhere.

We were looking forward to our next stay of three nights on the coast at Swakopmund. We had a call from Bobo Campers on the way, asking us to take the van into a garage in Swakopmund for a new wiper motor to be fitted. The drive through the desert and along the coast to Swakopmund was fabulous and very refreshing after the heat of the desert.

The wreck of the Zeila, an Angolian fishing vessel which came to its end in 2008. Now a roosting spot for sea birds.

Great to be out of the desert. Still dusty but with a cooling sea breeze.

A dangerous bit of coast, the Atlantic breakers have done much damage over the years to many boats.

We meandered along the C35 coast road to our next stop Alte Brucke Campsite. Right in the middle of the town within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Each stand had its own well equipped toilet block and outside kitchen.

We had a very restful and enjoyable break here.Time for washing and getting rid of the desert dust. The restaurant was an interesting experience and done out like a ship. It was essential to book a table which we did for our last night.We had a very entertaining meal the restaurant was very popular. Loads of other places near by for food including The Atlantic Hotel and a Beach Bar. We mentally made a note for our next visit. I really fancied a visit here but sadly the beach bar was closed.

 We visited the Crystal Centre where we saw the worlds largest crystal and some stunning  jewellery.

We wandered about the very safe town had coffee in the cafes. We did some window shopping I was amused at the Christmas decorations in the shops, especially the snowmen on the windows. Odd when the temperature is in the high 30's. The Christmas "musik"  in the shopping malls was bizarre but I guess normal for November.

We explored the beaches. Had breakfast in a posh hotel and spent a few hours exploring the local museum. A highlight of the trip! The town was full of well-heeled Germans and other tourists, so lots of craft stalls and shops. 

Swakopmund is very compact and ideal for strolling around. We also went to the aquarium and had a drink in a beach bar watching the boats in the harbour.

Definitely a return trip here called for. We left Alte Brucke after a lovely three days. Even better, we now had working windscreen wipers as the motor had finally been changed by a local garage. The next morning we were on the road back to the desert.

Dash cam. Short 5 minutes drive through the desert.

Normally we are very careful driving in Africa however we were stopped on the coast road for driving without lights ! "You have infringed the laws of Namibia" we were told by the burly official who stopped us. It wasn't foggy or misty but we obviously looked ripe for a fine. We thought it best not to argue. We waited with all the other foreign registered cars that had "infringed the law", eventually we got our summons for driving without lights. A stressful couple of hours later, we had finally paid it at the court office in Walvis Bay a few miles down the road. We went to the police station first as the official who had fined us didn't take money. We were then sent to the court office. Fortunately it was a week day and the court office was open.  Den remained very calm.

Once again rescued by Madam Satnag, who found her way through the back streets of Walvis Bay. We paid our 700 Namibian dollars to the court office, a lot of money for a local ( around £40.) The moral of the story, leave your lights on in Namibia.

 Travelling through the Namib Desert. Not much traffic about. 

This was a main road! 

Travelling through the Namib desert through even more beautiful landscapes and some very scary mountain passes. The Namib desert stretches from Angola in the North to the Orange River with ever changing environments. This area is very underpopulated and we met hardly any traffic, it is also so silent. We headed back inland to our next stop Solitaire Desert Farm.

Another beautiful spot. The campsite was just like a little oasis in the desert. Again we had our own ablutions block and a very large pitch all to ourselves. We were too late to book a meal so we cooked for ourselves.

Our massive pitch, kitchen and toilet block.

 The pool looked very inviting.

Communal areas and restaurant.

Night fall at Solitaire.

As the sun went down, like Simon & Garfunkel we listened to the sounds of silence.

Tomorrow we were off to the sand dunes at Sesreim.