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10th May 2012
Hi,
I’m off to Hawaii next week and was just wondering if anyone had used their GHD hair straightener over in America before as I know they have different voltages.
Is it actually safe to use it with a converter?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!! 
10th May 2012
Hey im kinda new to this so i was wondering if anyone could offer me alittle advice.
My partner and I are planning on heading to Europe during june/july 2009 and i have been looking through all of the tours available and picked two out. the European Impressions (18 day tour) and the spotlight on greece + a 7 day island cruise.
i was jsut wondering if anyone has dopne either of these two tours and if it was worthwhile for a pair of avid travellors to undertake.
We havent travelled to any part of europe as yet so would this be a good starting point?
Thanks guys.
10th May 2012
My friend and I are planning on booking the Spanish Spree tour that starts on April 19th. We’re thinking of doing extra days in Barcelona or Valencia after Ibiza and are wondering if we should fly or take a boat. Has anyone taken a boat back? Do they run often? Is it a long boat ride? Thanks!!!
10th May 2012
hey everyone, just wondering if we pay for our food fund when we get to our tour, or should we already have paid for it when we booked? just looking at my trip itinery and the price seems to only include the contiki trip and not the food fund.
thanks, Lauren
10th May 2012
Hey everyone! I just got back from this trip – Turkey is amazing and I had a really great group! Here is a review as I noticed there aren’t any.
We had 20 people which our tour guide, Ahmet, said is smaller than usual. The ages of the group ranged from 21-37 but the average age was around 30.
Turkey in general is alot more western than I expected, but it still has a unique culture. The metro/tram is very safe and easy to use and a trip from the airport to the city is about an hour and costs 3 Lira. The taxi takes 40mins and costs approx. 50 Lira.
Day 1 Istanbul:
Our tour meeting was at 7pm, we stayed at the Erbil Hotel. It’s alright and very close to all the sights, but there are nicer hotels around.
Day 2 Canakkale (Gallipoli):
We drove a few hours to Gallipoli which was very beautiful but sad at the same time. We stopped by the same beach our soldiers arrived on, then to the Australian/NZ and Turkish memorials. We also got to walk around the trenches.
The hotel here is alright, they have a nice pool and are near a beach. But the beach is pretty dirty which we discovered after about 10mins in the water so we ended up sunbaking.
Day 3 Kusadasi:
Troy wasn’t very exciting but our guide taught us some interesting facts about the different levels of Troy and how they used to live. We went to an Onyx factory which had so many items made of the stone and a jewellery shop as well. That night our bus driver took us out to some random club with Contiki discounts. It was fun and got really busy with locals later in the night.
The Kusadasi hotel is a resort! It was really nice and the buffet breakfast and dinner was great.
Day 4 Kusadasi:
The Ephesus ruins are a must see! We visited a carpet factory on the way back and we saw how they made the carpets – they are all handmade and takes years to complete, it really made us appreciate them more. We also did the Turkish bath, they scrub you and soap you and I’m surprised at how much skin came off me! But all 20 of us were there at once and I felt that they rushed us towards the end, some got a little massage but I was one of the last and missed out. That night we went back into town to an Irish karoake pub which had nothing Irish about it, but still was a great night.
Day 5 Pamukkale:
It was really really windy this day and not a good day to be out, but the pools are amazing. We walked in the fake thermal pools (the real ones are protected now), it’s nice and warm but very slippery!
The hotel here was also a little resort and had 2 of their own thermal pools, one really hot and the other warm, and then a normal cold pool for afterwards. They also had an indoor spa/pool which we spent hours in.
Day 6 Istanbul:
Today was an 8 hour drive back to Istanbul, we played some games on the bus then some of us chatted while others caught up on sleep.
Day 7 Istanbul:
We did the major sights today – Spice Bazaar, Grand Bazaar and Blue Mosque were included in the tour. We had free time after lunch so I went back with a couple of the girls to see the Aya Sofia and Underground Cistern, even though it’s not included I recommend that you check them out!
Day 8 Istanbul:
The tour ended in the morning but a few people had an extra night and saw some more city sights, including a Bosphorus cruise.
Overall I absolutely loved Turkey and the trip had the perfect amount of sightseeing and free time. If anyone has more questions just PM me
10th May 2012
Ok everyone, just returned from the European Encounter tour, so here is some advice for you.
The first day of your tour, they weigh your luggage. They are VERY strict about this. If it weighs too much, take some heavy things and put them in your carry on bag. Keep in mind, they only weigh it one time so you can move everything back the way it was later. They dont measure it either. Any normal size suitcase should be fine. But just in case, I wouldnt bring anything much bigger than what the restrictions say.
Bring one of those travel pillows, they are great for the bus where you will be getting some much needed sleep.
Bring your Ipod as sometimes you will not love the music they play on the bus and will need it to tune out everyone else who is bring loud when you want to sleep. Bring a charger too.. better if you get one that is battery operated so you dont have to use the outlet on the bus.
Bring a cell phone that works in Europe! Mine did.. but sometimes had a hard time calling out.
Bring vitamins and vitamin C, and nyquil or something like that.. many people got sick from all the weather changes.
DEFINITELY bring a travel alarm clock. This will save you from oversleeping.. if you miss that bus and they leave without you, you have to find your OWN way there! And its not cheap!!
Definitely an umbrella and a poncho if you dont mind looking stupid in it!! It rains a lot in Europe, and rained nearly every day on our tour. Bring clothes for cold weather. Even though it is still summer , it is very COLD in Switzerland and the northern countries. I wish I had brought a cute jacket and closed flat shoes for cold weather instead of just sandals. Definitely bring clothes that you can layer. We were freezing at least half of the tour because we didnt expect it to be so cold. Bring 2 pairs of jeans at least!!!
Bring comfortable shoes as you will be walking more than you normally do.
I would do all the excursions on your tour, the only sucky one was in Amsterdam at the Sea Palace. Other than that, they were all great. Keep in mind you have to pay the excursions in cash to your tour manager. Dont bring travelers checks. They are a pain in the a$$. I brought 2 debit cards, and there are bank machines everywhere so it is easy to access money when you need it. Bring some cash too, there are places everywhere to convert it but sometimes charge a commission if its too little.
Bring a bathing suit, you may need it in Nice if you want to go to the beach, and definitely if you go white water rafting.
Bring extra batteries for your camera and extra memory cards, you will be taking more pictures than you expect. They are very expensive in Europe.
Def bring lots of clothes for going out, some nice dresses or whatver you have, or if you are a guy, bring a few dress shirts. They dont let you in clubs in Europe if you are underdressed. Jeans and thongs are not considered dressed up.
Definitely get a space cake in Amsterdam.. at the Grasshopper! Im sure there are many other places to get them, but thats a safe one.
Get a voltage converter (NOT just an adapter!)for your hairdryer/flatiron. I have a very expensive flat iron and it now no longer works in the US (or anywhere)because when I plugged it into the adapter it got extremely hot because the voltage is much higher than in the US. Same thing happened to our blow dryer. Now they are both garbage.
Bring some cards or a book or something to entertain yourself.. and maybe a journal for your trip. Its a great way to remember everything!!
Oh yes, bring lots of extra plastic bags for your dirty clothes so they dont go near your clean ones. Also bring some single use washing soap and extra dryer sheets for when you need to do laundry. These things are hard to find when you have laundry to do. There are not too many opportunites to get it done either. Maybe 2 at the most. Once in Austria and once in Nice.In case you dont have time to do it at all, bring enough undies to last you whole trip and then some. Sometimes you might shower more than once in a day.
Bring your nice designer sunglasses and sunscreen.. it is HOT in Italy and France!!
I strongly suggest you bring a money belt for your cash, passport and credit cards. and if you are using a purse make sure it is an over the shoulder bag that someone cant just snatch from you. Stay very aware of it at all times.
Before you go, make a photocopy of all your important documents, the passport especially. Leave one at home and bring one with you.
Last but not least, bring an open mind, as things are different in Europe and just think of it as a ‘cultural experience.’ Get to know the others on your tour. Be social.. more than you normally would. Its a great way to meet new people from around the world.
Let me know if you have any questions, I would be happy to help you with anything I can..
Have an awesome time.. we all did!!
10th May 2012
Hey there…I know there’s baggage restriction as far as luggage under the bus goes (one bag per person), but am I allowed to bring a carry on bag onto the bus? I have hard-cover small wheely bag that I can book an Ipod, book and camera… is that allowed? Or are there on-board restrictions as well?
10th May 2012
Hi all,
I’m going on the grand explorer in dec/jan. Was wondering if anyone has advice about the weather around this time?
What sort of clothes are required on contiki?
What are the best shoes to bring? Should I buy walking/hiking shoes?
Thanks in advance
10th May 2012
check it out! if your going to Egypt this year you may get a chance to see the new discovery that Egyptologists unearthed this week!
3,000-year-old tombs unveiled in Egypt
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070220/ap_on_sc/egypt_tombs_2
By ANNA JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Tue Feb 20, 4:43 PM ET
SAQQARA, Egypt – Archaeologists unveiled the tombs Tuesday of a pharaonic butler and a scribe that have been buried for more than 3,000 years — proof, they say, that Egypt’s sands still have secrets to reveal.
Although archaeologists have been exploring Egypt intensively for more than 150 years, some estimate only one-third of what lies underground in Saqqara, site of the country’s most ancient pyramid and burial site of kings, has been uncovered.
“The sands of Saqqara reveal lots of secrets,” said Egypt’s antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, as he showed reporters a 4,000-year-old mud brick tomb that belonged to a scribe of divine records, Ka-Hay, and his wife.
The tomb, along with the butler’s 3,350-year-old limestone grave and two painted coffins, were discovered earlier this year near the famous Step Pyramid of King Djoser — the oldest of Egypt’s more than 90 pyramids.
Hawass said the three discoveries are just the tip of what remains undiscovered at Saqqara, which was the burial grounds for Memphis, the capital of Egypt’s Old Kingdom.
In December, archaeologists in Saqqara discovered the mummified remains of a doctor who was buried along with surgical tools more than 4,000 years ago. Two months earlier, the graves of three royal dentists were discovered in Saqqara after the arrest of tomb raiders led archaeologists to the site.
Hawass said the mud brick tomb unveiled Tuesday, which also featured wooden statues and a door with intricate hieroglyphic carvings, “could enrich our knowledge about the people who actually surrounded the kings of Saqqara.”
“It doesn’t look great because it was built from mud brick and not built of limestone, but I really believe that this tomb is very important,” said Hawass, who donned his signature Indiana Jones-style hat.
Three wooden statues also were found in the tomb. Two of them, each about 3 feet tall and depicting the scribe, were laid out on pieces of foam on the ground. One was missing a left arm. The third was not shown because it was in poor condition.
After Hawass presented the tomb, workers picked up the ancient statues, placed them in the back of a pickup truck — while tourists, surprised at the media commotion, quickly snapped photographs — and drove them to another building in the complex.
On the other side of the Step Pyramid, archaeologists then unveiled the second tomb, which belonged to a butler who died some 3,350 years ago.
Carved out of limestone, it contained murals that showed scenes of people performing rituals and monkeys eating fruit. The blue and orange colors of the paint were surprisingly well preserved.
“This is a very, very lively scene,” said Maarten Raven, the excavation’s director and a curator at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Netherlands.
Raven said he believed other tombs from the New Kingdom, similar to the butler’s, had yet to be uncovered in Saqqara, which is famous for Old Kingdom antiquities. Many of the New Kingdom tombs, which date from 1570 B.C. to 1070 B.C., can be found in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor.
“We hope one day this area will be open to visitors so people can see that Saqqara is not only Old Kingdom but New Kingdom as well,” Raven said.
Hawass also unveiled two wooden coffins, 4,000 years old, that were found south of the Step Pyramid. The rectangular coffins, painted light orange with blue hieroglyphics, held human-shaped coffins known as anthropoids, containing the mummies of a priest and a woman, who Hawass said was identified in the hieroglyphics as the priest’s “girlfriend.”
Saqqara, a popular tourist site in the desert about 12 miles south of Cairo, hosts a collection of temples, tombs and funerary complexes. Its Step Pyramid is the forerunner of the more sophisticated pyramids in Giza, which are believed to have been built about a century later.
10th May 2012
hello
My name is Samia and I’m from europe.
I’m new on board. And I would like to book a trip this summer (july, august or september) to the usa.
Can anyone give me some advice? Wich tour to you recommend? Are you also plannig to do an american tour this summer?
Cheerz
10th May 2012
Has anyone had a bad experience or something they didn’t like about a tour?
10th May 2012
Hi there people,
I fly into Sydney first and I am wondering if there are shuttle buses that can take you from Sydney airport to your hotel and if so how much do they cost? I know looking through other discussions there are trains but just wonder whats better – train or bus?
Also I know there is a free shuttle bus to take you from Cairns airport to the Colonial Resort hotel but do you have to prebook this or is it just there at the airport on a regular basis anyway?
Thanks
Jan
10th May 2012
Hi guys, somewhere on the contiki site I saw a chart that listed all the European countries visited on the Ultimate Euro trip with their average temps for each month. This info would be really handy for choosing clothes.
ta
suzi
28th March trip
10th May 2012
I was wondering what mountain is the best to go to? Which tours offer to go to Junfrau? Which tours offer to go to Mt. Pilatus?
10th May 2012
Hi,we are leaving for this tour on Sept 22nd.
We would like to know if anyone ever rented a moped(bike) on the 3 islands and is it advisable? Any idea how much it will cost in Sept-Oct?
Do we need to dress up for the dinners (those provided on the tour, not the optional ones)?
Is internet access easily available on this tour?
Are all the hotels equipped with shower gel and shampoo? (We don’t want to lug them around)
Is backpack/wheeled luggage more appropriate for this tour?
We don’t drink much, therefore how much spending money do we need?
Hope those who have been will share as much info as you can to those who are going.
Many thanks
* Our Very 1st Contiki Tour *
10th May 2012
Hey,
Me and my sister are looking at heading over to America may next year, and are deciding if we should do contiki or make our own way around. I am 21 and have done contiki through Europe and loved it but most of the people on my tour were from 18-24. My sister is a little older, 32, and while she knows it’s what you make of the experience would like to know that there are going to be other people her age around. So just wondering how old are you all? Also where are most of the people doing the tours from?
Cheers!!
10th May 2012
I am thinking of doing the Beaches and Reefs that ends on Sunday January 10th 2010 in Cairns. The itinerary states, “Say a final farewell to your new friends as your trip ends this morning” so does that mean that when you wake up your tour is over, no gathering or last breakfast and your last part of your tour is pretty much the previous night? I have a flight to catch at 10:25 am on that Sunday, so just want to make sure I am not missing out on anything.
10th May 2012
Hi there, I am booked onto a Northern Highlights tour that leaves Wellington on 2 Feb 07. There seems to be 2 other tours (Grand Explorer and Grand Adventurer) that arrive in Auckland at the same time as my tour and do the same locations. Does this mean I will be sharing my bus with these tours, or will we have our own?
Also, how many people should I be expecting to be doing just the Northern Highlights tour?
Thanks!
Brice
