headwater holidays - Romania & hotels 🙂

I think they are now the same company as exodus.

My wife and I have done a few trips with exodus over the years. They've all been good. It can often depend on the guide as to whether they are good or excellent. We've had a couple of less good trips but they are unusual.

We generally prefer KE Adventures. They tend to do very similar trips and whenever we compare trips to the same place, KE itineraries seem more appealing.

Generally the groups are fun. They've pretty much full of middle aged, middle class people so we have loads in common ;). But the fact you've all signed up to do the same thing likely means you have a similar outlook. And everyone is on holiday so in a good mood with minimal stress.

We probably did our first trip over 10 years ago in our thirties, we were normally the youngest. Ten years later that still seems to be the case. I think on the whole they are just too expensive for many people as the cost of living has gone up. You can do it much cheaper on your own but it takes a lot of work. We quite like not having to plan or think too much about things on holiday.

My dad has used them many times over a number of years and really rates them. They used to be based a couple of miles from us, so he'd pop in to book or ask questions. 😁 Different kinds of trips from full service and guiding to self supported, but cycling not walking. 

They find nice little independent hotels and use local guides with good knowledge of the area. Can't go far wrong with them I reckon. 

Cheers both, I have only heard good things so far. 

I think the ones I am looking at are neither with guides or groups, which is good IMO. 

They just do all the legwork of booking the hotels and provide you with a suggested route. 

I have colleagues in Romania and have travelled there with work, although didn't venture out of the city... I'd have loved to though if I'd been able. Today I was pondering cycling the Via Transilvanica and remembering how nice the wine and food was.  

A colleague did say that out in rural areas the main concern is not bears but packs of stray dogs. Rabies vaccine then or maybe plenty of țuică?

Recently travelled with them to Spain.  It was a shambles!  They couldn’t get anything right and involved me making phone calls and emails to them telling them what I wanted.  It got to the point where I had to look up train schedules to tell them no, those times aren’t suitable and yes there are better times to travel.  Hotels were very average and poorly located.  Phoning them was a nightmare as every time the person I contacted had no record of any previous conversations.  It would have been simpler and cheaper to organise the whole holiday myself.  Avoid at all costs.  Why they are part of Exodus I have no idea - had several holidays with them which have been excellent.

I've actually done some work for Headwater (indirectly). They were doing cycling and walking tours in the Scottish Highlands and we were providing bikes and luggage services. Seemed well organised, all of their clients only had good things to say about them and they were very open to suggestions from us on how to improve their tours. This was about 6 years ago though and things might have changed since then. 

A quick follow up to my post.  I talked to friends who travelled around the same time as me and they had very similar complaints.  Unlike me they had travelled with Headwater loads of times in the past but felt that it had all gone wrong with the change of ownership.

Is eBiking an alternative option?

https://www.theslowcyclist.com/destinations/romania-cycling-holidays/transylvania/

When I was there('92) I bought a lottery ticket in one of the state owned lotto shops. its pretty much an instant win and i received a pack of 10 hand rolled cigarettes.

I have no idea what they rolled into them because it sure wasn't tobacco, it was so disgusting i left the packet with the remaining 9 on a windowsill.

Top prize was a satellite dish nasa would have been proud to own, the thing was easily 15 feet in diameter.

Apparently at that time they werent in the broadcast range for western tv, so utilized a giant dish to 'catch' the signals.

Great country. The people are nice and friendly once they get to know you. Avoid the brown bottled beer that is cloudy and has 'bits' floating in it. Also go easy on the local vodka, it's horrifically potent.