I've been on two trips with Eurynome Journeys and would recommend them without hesitation. The number of participants on each trip is limited so you receive personalized attention, and have the opportunity to really get to know your fellow travelers. When you book a tour your primary interaction is with the company's owner, Erja, an incredible woman who also accompanies every tour. She is quite knowledgeable about the countries visited but also partners with a local guide and between the two of them you learn quite a bit. In fact, prior to departure you receive a "recommended reading" list, so that if you're interested in doing so you can learn more about the country. Because of the small size of the group there is an opportunity for more in-depth discussion of the sites you're visiting, and you can always get any questions you might have answered by the tour guides. There also always seems to be opportunities to chat with the locals, something I really appreciate. Another thing I like about these tours is that they always arrange an activity personalized to the location you're visited. In Egypt this meant a belly-dancing lesson from a local instructor. In Malta, we visited a local winery for a wine-tasting and hands-on lesson in cheese-making.
Prior to discovering Eurynome Journeys I had always traveled alone and shuddered at the idea of a "group tour", a term that for me conjured images of big buses with crowds of people straining to hear their guide. Eurynome Journeys offers the antithesis of that idea of a group tour. Indeed, as our small group wandered down the streets in Malta having a casual conversation with our guide, I'm not sure anyone would have even known we were on a "group tour", but rather might have mistaken us for a group of friends out for a stroll. And, I have kept in touch with several of the women I met on my trip to Egypt almost 4 years ago.
I would also agree with the other reviewer that the choice of hotels and restaurants is impressive. When you're away from home you want to be comfortable, but also close to the sites you went to see, and Erja has a knack for picking the exact right places. From conversations with her I know she pays a great deal of attention to finding the best places to stay, and always solicits feedback from travelers to ensure continuous quality.
Since I first met her on my trip to Egypt, Erja has also been quite generous with travel advice for trips I have planned on my own without her company. She is a warm, knowledgeable, generous person and fantastic tour leader, and I am so thrilled to have discovered Eurynome Journeys - you will be too! read more