What we’re about
Hello all! Welcome to my new group for travel addicts! :)
This new group will be mainly for the socialising trips that I enjoy organising outside of England, trips that are designed for travel lovers who like to have fun and leave all the burdens of the organisation in my experienced hands.
please follow me on insta if you would like to know more about me and my hikers: My personal one is jonathanhenrotay and the one I have just created is jontrails. You can also check out my website jonathanhenrotayoztek.com
There will be a mixture of historical visits, staring at wonders of Mama nature, wildlife visits, hikes, sometimes rafting, sometimes horse-riding, drinking, music events and gastronomy with the most wonderful people that you will ever meet, also called Jonions, yes they look like it too, you can recognise them from afar with their beautiful smiles until they have climbed a hill and are out of breath on the floor! Jokes aside, my trips are made for you to relax in a beautiful environment surrounded by laughers, fresh air and a bit of sweat, not too much, I am a bit of a lazy guide and I truly believe that taking in the surroundings without hurting yourself too much is the most important, so if you are looking for a hardcore run up ten hills guy, that isn't me! Nevertheless, I am a hiking leader too so if you are not ready to walk around for visits, this group might not be what you are looking for.
There will be some hiking though, if we do hike, my average trips are usually around 10 miles/15km, and of average difficulty to no difficulty at all, I do not rush but if there is any part that might be more difficult I will let you know in advance (please read the descriptions) and you are welcome to have a few hours of freedom if you wish to relax by the pool or visit a trendy museum.
As my Jonions know by travelling with me in the UK and abroad, I am here to have a good time and to show you all the greatest emotions, as this is a social group, we will socialise, I like to ensure that everyone feels comfortable, many lonely souls have found a family and Mama Jon is here for you so enjoy as much as you can and for this, remember that mutual RESPECT is the key, I will take no discrimination of any kind, I understand humour though so don't worry, be yourself, make your jokes as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, I am known to be nice (after coffee and when I am not Hangry) relaxed and open to suggestions but when it comes to our lovely travellers wellbeing, I won't accept any derogatory comments or behaviour so please, be kind, be nice and let's enjoy those trips stress free in a joyful environment. We have people from all over the world(I am Belgian), creed, colours, gay(Me, me, me, but this is just a small part of who I am), straight, bi, transgender, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Agnostic( me too) Atheists, we have people who vote right, left, with both hands, we have people with disabilities and illnesses, 18 years old or 70 years old(I am getting there...), all you have to remember is that we are all humans, all different and all the same and if you understand that, come and join our family, you will have the time of your life!
Now a bit of useful information, I will take care of everything from booking the hotels, the transports in the country, the activities, visits, breakfasts are usually included and I will take you to some tasty places for lunch or diner (I don't include those in the price), I always recon the routes so wherever I take you, I would have been before
as I am pretty well travelled unless you need me to organise a new trip for you and your friends, then I might have to hire a local guide and become your private guide.
(Those private trips will be rare but if you wish to, pm me and I can arrange your holidays for you). I am not a big fan of hostels as after a day out in another country we all need a bit of privacy so we will usually stay in hotels, you can share a room if you wish. All you need to take care of, are usually booking your flight(I will give you the information) as you need private information that I do not have, please do not give it to anyone, as well as your visas, but for this I am happy to help you with the process and guide you to the right website and the documentation that you need. VISAS MUST BE BOOKED LONG IN ADVANCE. I also recommend a travel insurance, usually around £25 as refunds are not possible 14 days before departures as I will have paid the hotel,...
Please be aware that if you wish to join these trips, I prefer to know you before so please join one of my hiking days out first so that you can ask me as many questions as you can and see if you feel comfortable within our little family, you won't need to pay the fee, just pay for your transport.
SO! Just a quick recap, you can call me Mama Jon if you wish, most people just call me Jon, some your majesty. You are going to have a great time with us, so join, come on a trip if you don't want to travel alone and if you wish to have a wonderful time in the Grand Bazar in Istanbul, the Agafay and Sahara deserts in Morrocco, under the arches of the colosseum or walking the beaches, swim in the waterfalls of the Croatian riviera.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- Hike in East Belgium & West Germany: Visit Bruges, Monschau, High Fens & EifelNeeds location£520.00
## Details
ATTENTION: I NOW ONLY HAVE 3 SPOTS LEFT, the remaining tickets will be on a first paid, first served basis.
Come and join me, this Spring, for a marvellous adventure around my home in Belgium and visit 2 marvellous countries with a local! See landscapes and wildlife you had no idea existed in Belgium and walk into fairy tale towns you have sadly never heard of... What do you need to forget about the stress of your far too busy London life more than nature, laugh, delicious food and magical places?
ATTENTION: Booking will close 21 days before departure. Bookings will be on a first booked first served basis.
YOU MUST HAVE A SCHENGEN VISA, A UK PASSPORT OR A EUROPEAN PASSPORT TO TRAVEL & A TRAVEL INSURANCE!
DAY 1:
Visit of BRUGES:
Meet me at either the St Pancras station and book yourself on the 7am Eurostar train to Brussels. Please book via any Belgian station so that we can go to Bruges as we arrive in Brussels and enjoy a full day there. Alternatively, you can meet us directly at Brussels Midi/South station at 10 am.
We will make our way to Belgium's more beautiful city, Bruges, the Venice of the North that I know very well. I will take you around town and show you all the great spots, Bruges - Wikipedia.
We will try some tasty chocolate, I will take you to the old chocolate house for the best hot chocolate of your life and will then get some Belgian food and drinks at a local restaurant.
We will then take a train to my home town on the other side of the country where we will be based for the next days...( about 1h30minutes)
DAY 2:
The High Fens National Parc, Monschau and the Eifel National Park.
After breakfast, we will take a taxi to Monschau, a fairy town in Germany that has been preserved and stayed intact during the war. We will walk around its cobbled streets before we hike through some stunning landscapes cross country from Germany back to our hotel in Belgium. This hike will be the longest of the trip. ( About 20km).
DAY3:
The Baraque Michel, and Mount Rigi.
Now this is going to be my little favourite... I call it' On the Wolves and Grouse Trail.' This hike is my personal favourite around the world. I have done it dozens of times and do it every time I arrive in Belgium and there is no place in the world where I feel more relaxed.
First, the landscapes and the variety of it are outstanding, it's true, wild forests and one of the largest fens in Europe and Belgium's highest point. It is so different from the rest of the country that wildlife that normally only inhabit the highest mountain areas of Europe such as the Alps, the Carpathian mountains or the Pyreneans thrive in the region...from birds such as nutcrackers, shrikes, Tengmalm owls, eagle owls or elf owls to wolves, wildcats or Eurasian Lynxes, the area has one of the most important diversities in the area. Now I cannot promise any sightings in Particular but I have crossed path with quite a few of them on my many trips...pssst... wolves do not eat humans...they are scared of you...urban legends... and you are unlikely to see them, although we will be on the territory of the largest and most famous pack in the country...
MEETING:
06:15 am at St Pancras station.
PRICE:
£520 via Paypal... sorry but 1 night in a hotel in my region start at £175 (You can share a bed with your partner or friend and cut the price if you message me first.)
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:- 3 days of return transports to our hiking destinations
- Accommodation: A private room in a comfy hotel to sleep well for 2 nights... so far I have booked hotel Verviers which is very well known by travellers and celebrities travelling to Belgium but I might book a hotel in the middle of the forest if the group prefers and if rooms are still available...
- Guided tours
- Paypal fees
- Meetup fees
- My good self
- My costs and fees
- Laughter
- New friends included in the price(You have a choice of short or giant people, of any nationality, chatty or quiet, pretty or not... you choose, you take.)
NOT INCLUDED:
- Food and drinks
- Transport to and from London to Brussels
- Anything not mentioned above
- Alternative transportation if you miss the train or if there are issues
ITEMS TO BRING:
- Water
- You MUST have waterproof hiking boots for this trip, no trainers allowed
- Snacks
- Appropriate clothing
- Waterproof jackets and clothes
- spare clothes
ATTENTION:
Our trips will not be cancelled due to weather conditions so please ensure that you do wear and carry appropriate clothing. 😄
POLICIES:
1: This group is designed for the pleasure and enjoyment of all of us, we do not accept any derogatory comments or behaviours towards anyone. and mutual respect is the fundamental spirit of this group.
2: Our trips are only refundable up to 30 days before departure, if you wish to cancel after that, you will need to find a replacement by yourself.
3: If we do cancel the entirety of the trip on our side, you will be fully refunded.
4:In the eventuality that our transports are delayed, or cancelled which is out of my control, I do not pay for taxis or alternative routes. I might have to cut a part of the trip short and find an alternative hike. You agree to this by booking your tickets. - The Irish Weekend: Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, puffins and gannets coloniesNeeds location
Show your interest for a new wonderful trip on the Coast of Ireland and come hike 2 of Ireland's most iconic wonders! The cliffs of Moher and the Burren!
By clicking attend, you will only show your interest in the trip, it does not mean that you have booked, I will repost the actual booking page in a couple of months so that we can book some cheap flights, usually around £40-60 return if booked long in advance. As always for trips abroad, I will only take up to 7 people with me, not more, for practical reasons so it will be on a first paid, first served basis
I will take you on a journey across some of the most impressive wonders Ireland has to offer for a weekend to remember.
On Day one, we will meet at Stansted airport at 06:30 am in the departure area. Where we will fly to Shannon.
Once in Shannon, we will take a bus and a short taxi journey to the gorgeous Burren National park for our first hike.
PLEASE ONLY TAKE 1 RUGSACK with all the things you need, we will not drop our bags at the hotel neither will we go back once we have left on the second day.
The Trip:
THE BURREN:
Our first day out will be unique, like nowhere else you have ever been to, a place that could as well have been home to fairies or the famous Lepreshaun. That one place that was favoured by the great, the amazing, J.R.R Tolkien, Writer of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit amongst others. A place that inspired him for Gollum, (There is a place nearby called the cave of Gollum) and the Misty mountains, fun fact, he was writing the LOTR at the time...
The Burren National Park, covers 1,800 hectares and is located in County Clare. Its name comes from the Irish boíreann, or rocky place. But the Burren has been referred to as fertile rock, internationally famous for its landscape and unique flora. The Burren National Park is a place of incredible natural beauty with plenty of trails that take you through many fascinating and beautiful habitats, grasslands, woodlands and limestone pavement.
This hike will be about 14 miles/20km long and medium. It will take us about 5 1/2 hours to completes and will be the longest one.
THE CLIFFS OF MOHER
Our second day will be your new favourite hike, the 'BIG ONE' but a shorter one, probably one of the most beautiful you have ever seen...
The Cliffs of Moher are renowned for their grand magnificence, their seabird colonies and the various coastal landscapes are something else. Birds including puffins, gannets, and guillemots nest on the cliffs from June to September. The cliffs have been featured in numerous films and are a popular tourist destination, attracting over a million visitors each year. The Princess bride, Harry Potter, and many more have been filmed there.
The hike is about 8 miles/12km long and will take about 3 hours.
While there we will spend a couple of hours observing and photographing the puffins and other seabird colonies If you have binoculars for the puffins, it will be great. I will have my 600mm lens with me so you will receive the photos taken on the day once we come back to London on the group chat :)
PRICE:
About £450, without food and flight, I will need to work it out. 1 night in a hotel is about £250 per person
Your spot will only be booked once you have paid.
FLIGHT:
I am booked on the Ryanair Flight at 08:40 am from Stansted to Shannon on Saturday June 21th and my return is on the Aer Lyngus flight from Shannon to Heathrow at 21:15pm on June 22nd. I paid £65 return, the earliest you book, the better.
Please ensure that you DO NOT bring a suitcase or something you cannot carry with you!
INCLUDED IN PRICE:
- 1 nights stay at a 4 stars hotel with a private room. You can choose to stay with a friend or partner in your room to cut the hotel price by half but I would need to know long in advance.
-Airport transfers in Ireland
-Return public transport to Moher (About 1h40)
-Return transport to the Burren (About 1hour)
-Breakfast at the hotel on the 22nd
-My costs( Hotel, flight, food, transport...)
-My fee
-A fabulous time with the world's loveliest people
NOT INCLUDED:
-Flight(They start at £40 return)
-Food
-Anything not mentioned above
HOTEL:
Shannon Spring hotel, you will have a private room. If you decide to share a room with a friend or partner, I can remove £150 from one of the 2 people's price.
You MUST have a travel insurance, check if you need a visa. Schengen visas do not work for Ireland. See link Visa requirements for entering Ireland
POLICIES:
1: This group is designed for the pleasure and enjoyment of all of us, we do not accept any derogatory comments or behaviours towards anyone. Racism, discrimination and other unacceptable behaviours will only lead to your rejection of any of our trips and this is without exception.
2: This trip is refundable up to 30 days before departure included.(Except flight)
3:In the eventuality that our trains/buses/flights are delayed, or cancelled which is out of my control, I do not pay for taxis or alternative route. Be aware that would anything out of my power happens, I might have to shorten or change a trip. This is why you need a travel insurance. By signing up to my events, you agree to this. - MOROCCAN WONDERS: Marrakech, Ouzoud waterfalls, Atlas mountains,& OuarzazateNeeds location
SHOW YOUR INTEREST FOR THIS TRIP BY CLICKING ATTEND. THE BOOKING PAGE WILL BE POSTED IN THE SPRING. I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US.
Time to travel to one of the most stunning places on Earth that I had the chance to visit with one of the best gastronomies in the world; MOROCCO.
On this occasion, I will focus mostly on Marrakech as there is a lot to see and experience and the Atlas Mountains and as it is a 5 days trip, the visits of Ouarzazat and the Ouzoud waterfalls will not be too tiring but there will be quite a bit of walking involved in Marrakech because, there is A LOT to see and experience.
This trip will be a 4 nights trip that will mix history, nature, short hikes, lazy times by the pool and some time in the mountains with some monkeys and Africa's second largest waterfall as well as a visit to the gate to the desert Ouarzazat.
We will be based in Marrakech in a Hotel in the city's more modern but not less historical part. Psst, there is a pool.
DAY 1:
Arrival.
I will meet you at a chosen airport and we will travel together. We will drop our bags at the hotel and start the trip at my favourite restaurant called Al Fassia.
DAY2:
VISIT of Marrakech.
I will take you on a journey through some beauties you do not even expect. The red city has a lot to offer so does the rest of the country. I will guide you through Marrakech's red streets, we will haggle in the Souk to buy some awesome babouches, traditional clothing or a magic lamp. Wander at the stunning mosques, palaces, streets and gardens. Grab some delicious street food from tagines, to my favourite, the Couscous Royal and many more...
Day 3:
OURZAZAT & Ait ben Haddou
Ouarzazat and the famous Ait ben Haddou, known as the filming location for at least 23 Hollywood blockbusters such as The Mummy or Laurence of Arabia, Gladiator, Alexander or Jesus or Nazareth to mention a few... Aït Benhaddou - Wikipedia
INFORMATION:
PRICE: £550 for the 5 days
INCLUDED:
- 4 NIGHTS in a 3 or 4 stars Hotel(tbc)
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Transport to and from Marrakech Menara airport if you are on my flights
- Day trip to Ouarzazat with transport via minibus
- Day trip to the Ouzoud Waterfalls with boat trip and transport via minibus
- Visit of Bahia Palace
- Visit of the Jardin Majorelle(If we have time)
- Visit of Marrakech Souk
- A LOT of white storks
- Visit of Marrakech
NOT included
- Flight TBC
- Food and drinks ( except breakfast ), the food in Morocco is extremely cheap, we will mostly eat in small restaurants which serve local food.
- taxis if you want to use it
- Anything not mentioned above
VISA: Many countries do not require any visa, this includes but not only; UK, countries of the European Union, Turkey,...
For the others it is your responsibility to book your visa long in advance to avoid disappointment, I am however happy to do the research for you and send you the right link for the booking.
Please book a travel insurance( about £25) we never know what can happen so please, ensure that you have one.
REFUNDS: A full refund (Minus the paypal fee) is only available up to 30 days before departure.
POLICIES:
1: This group is designed for the pleasure and enjoyment of all of us, we do not accept any derogatory comments or behaviours towards anyone. Racism, discrimination and other unacceptable behaviours will only lead to your rejection of any of our trips and this is without exception.
2: This trip is refundable up to the 20th of October included.(Except flight)
3:In the eventuality that our transports are delayed, or cancelled which is out of my control, I do not pay for taxis, flight or alternative routes, I might have to change a part of the trip if something happens such as last minute closure,... If this happens, I will plan an alternative visit. If this happens, By signing up to my events, you agree to this.
