Big Round World Avis 

Just returned from my Orkney/Shetland trip with Big Round World, my 5th trip with them. As usual it was well planed and executed. Our leader, Deirdre Butler had really done her homework so that we could get the most out of the Neolithic sites that Orkney has and the grandeur of Shetland. Past trips were more hiking orientated, this one was about discovery. Orkney is a UNESCO historical site – the Neolithic structures were amazing and to be able to walk around them was humbling seeing what the people of 5000 years ago accomplished. Shetland was very different in that it had beautiful beaches and cliffs packed full of nesting sea birds. We had just missed the Puffins in Ireland, but on our last day in Shetland we finally saw them! I can’t thank Deirdre enough for giving me a trip of a lifetime!

What an incredible trip!
In spite of having read and listened to audio descriptions about Orkney and the Shetland Isles - seeing them in ‘real life’ completely surpassed it all. The isles have a beauty all of their own and the embedded history is incredible. The achievements of Neolithic man are amazing, evidenced particularly at Skara Brae.
Deirdre had an amazing itinerary for us following her in-depth research, nothing was left out. She even managed to produce puffins on our last day!
Many thanks for a memorable trip Deirdre.

The trip was well-paced; we traveled and hiked to many great locations, and I never felt rushed. Unexpected events, like the delayed Cook Sound crossing, turned into a unplanned visit to the Wellington Botanic Gardens. I appreciate the trip leader's can-do attitude, their cheerful flexibility, and attention to detail.

After a long flight it was good to get to New Zealand and start the fun. The weather was not on our side and it rained everyday which made changes to the plans. Out guide and the Big Round World worked hard to find alternate things to see and kept a positive attitude to help keep our spirits up. Even when 5 people on the trip came down with COVID, extra care was given to them to get them isolated and able to kind a way home. Looking forward to another trip with Bid Round World. Pat

Our tour guides were fantastic. They paid attention to everyone's needs, were very knowledgeable, and were constantly looking out for the entire group. I had a broken foot during thsi trip, and there was constant monitoring of the activities for what I could do. It also rained a lot while we were there, and they were very flexible about where we went to make sure we didn't have too many walks in the rain. Our group also had a lot of COVID, and they were great about following their COVID policy and turning quickly with the events. I was very appreciative of the experience.

Have just been on the Coast to Coast with Deirdre of Big Round World. A truly wonderful experience. Hiking across England - with breathtaking scenery brought to life by daily local guides whose love for the history of their surroundings was all apparent. Management of the whole trip flowed beautifully. Deirdre’s experience, knowledge and enthusiasm for the trip shone through. Long standing relationships have been built up over the years not only with all the hosts of our B&Bs but also with all the local guides who were obviously delighted to be sharing the C2C trip with Deirdre and her participants once again.

Great trip and wonderful care by Deirdre to meet everyone’s needs. There were many parts to the trip and everything was well planned out. Even with unknown issue’s Deirdre made it all worl

The England Coast to Coast trip was beyond my expectations, not only the landscapes and sceneries along the route had a varieties and beautiful, some of the country inns/B&Bs we stayed were very charming and dining options were surprisingly good also. It was a hiking trip but we had opportunities to visit castles, abby, and country villages, also enjoyed wonderful organ performance in a priory and folk songs as after dinner entertainment in Richmond. The highlight of the trip was almost everyday we had a local hiking guide walking with us, they were personable and knowledgeable of the trails and the areas, it was an enjoyment having them along the way.
Deirdre is a responsible and effective trip leader, our daily hikes and transportations on certain days took place seamlessly. I'll have no doubt to go on future trips with Big Round World again!

A Walking Tour of Provence with Philippe and Dierdre as our guides, was my first experience with a small group guided tour. It was by far, the highlight of my trip to France. Excellent organization and overall fabulous choices for lodging, food, and daily explorations. Philippe served as the local guide and in addition to providing his expertise on the area history, trails, winery, flora, and fauna worked tirelessly to involve all participants and ensure we were comfortable yet challenged. I feel the whole experience was a great value, especially since it was my first time to France.

I just got back from the Crete trip. As usual, Ed and Helen provided a wonderful, well organized trip. In this case, it was in an area of the world which I would not have otherwise experienced. Great museum trips, towns, villages, and landscape.

Wonderful small group travel and hiking. Guides are experienced, well informed and patient. Accommodations and restaurants are very good, the towns and villages are lovely. Highly recommended!

Fantastic trip!
I'm a repeat traveler with BIG ROUND WORLD for good reason. Deirdre and Phillippe worked together to provide a truly enjoyable trip including historical facts of the areas, current fun events like wine tasting, art immersion in a real quarry, and tasting the regional specialties of local foods. The daily walks/hikes are designed to enhance the views and cultural sites of the areas. The small group size allows for individual attention while also promoting group experiences and new friendships. In addition they use great hotels, and wonderful local restaurants. I have the highest regards for this travel company and look forward to traveling with them again!

An amazing blend of culture, North American native peoples history, natural beauty, excellent food, historic inns, and great company. Great attention to individual needs of participants as well as COVID-19 safety precautions. Guides provided yummy homemade cookies and healthy outdoor snacks and delicious "on the go" lunches in the beautiful surroundings. I would suggest future trips in this area provide more details on difficulty level of hikes the day before so appropriate choices can be made. Calls to restaurants a few days ahead would assure open status.

My recent experience with Big Round World was very satisfactory. We had a small group with enough health precautions to keep Covid worries to a minimum. The trip was both educational and fun. The food was excellent!

It was disappointing that the trip had to be modified for both weather and Covid. There were alternatives offered although a few times it was unclear if we would have had enough time for either the original activity or the substitute. In cases where time was tight it would have been helpful to know in advance what part of a museum we should focus on such as the paintings at the Coronado State Museum. And to have a clear time limit set.

The hiking was all that I could have asked for. I was expertly guided over challenging parts and satisfied with the length of the hikes. One suggestion would be to leave the Santa Fe and Taos city experiences to the end of the hike and go first to Bandolier. It was a bit disappointing to do so much van travel and city walking at the beginning of the trip but it would have been a nice way to wind down at the end.

I learned a great deal about the Chaco Phenomena and I am interested enough to continue reading on the topic. Our guide was knowledgeable and stimulated our interest. I might suggest a audio system in the van to hear the leader better. It might also have been used to facilitate a group discussion about our experience while we were driving.

The van was comfortable and I appreciated the suggestion to rotate seats. Anyone taking this trip should know there are long distances to cover and some rough back country roads.

Overall this was a very good trip and I would highly recommend to anyone interested in spending time in the Four Corners

Given the challenges of the Covid epidemic, Big Round World was able to provide a very good trip. They had back up solutions when key areas were closed to public access. They also provided some unique experiences with local experts.

The 4 Corners trip with Big Round World was a cultural and environmental eye-opener, in addition to being great fun. The itinerary was comprehensive and helped to ingrain the extent and complexity of our early Native American culture and architecture as well as the modern Southwest vibe. Our group of 7 wanderers was extremely convivial as were our two leaders.
The meal/restaurant selections were delicious and in keeping with our immediate environs.
Unfortunately, some of the places that were on our original itinerary, were closed to visitors due to Covid. The substitutions were good but I was a little disappointed. Accommodations were very comfortable and clean, especially our inn in Santa Fe. Top notch for friendliness, atmosphere, and location. Again the only downside was the breakfasts that were to be included as part of our room price, were not prepared because of Covid.
This was my first trip with BRW although I have been on earlier trips with one of the leaders prior to inception of BRW. I think they did a commendable job in making the trip as fun as it was while still balancing the complexities and vagaries of dealing with Covid. Their Covid protocols enabled the group to remain healthy yet feel at ease in our pod. That was a monumental achievement during this pandemic and it contributed to a relaxing, informative, fun and delicious trip. I would definitely participate with another BRW trip in the future!

Torn between 4 and 5 star rating but in the end went with 5 stars as the positive overall impact of the trip very much outweighed a few instances of feeling cooped up in the travel van due to a couple of days of rain (rain being a fairly rare and pleasant event in NM). We covered a lot of territory by van in north west New Mexico and southern Colorado exploring many significant and amazing sites built and occupied by the Ancient Peoples and their descendents. This trip is a good overview, a taste of how impressive and wide spread throughout the southwest the ancient pueblos and villages were and also a reminder that their descendants continue to live in the southwest keeping their cultures and religions alive. Seeing the region in person is very impactful. Interacting with residents of contemporary pueblos was memorable and educational. Some amazing hikes and great landscapes.

My first trip w/Deirdre was 2013. With the exception of 2014, I have participated in her hikes every year since. I love England so it’s always special to return. Deirdre is wonderful- infinitely patient, very knowledgeable about an area’s history, & knows a thing or two about keeping a group together!
Her co-leader,Philippe, is an enviable hiker with an extensive knowledge of the flora & fauna. I’m very much looking forward to the upcoming trips to Cornwall & Provence.

Bonnie Wright

I have been to England with Deirdre and had a great time in spite of struggling on some parts of the trail, due to recent knee surgery. Her concern for my safety and wellbeing was exactly what you want in a leader, to the point of collecting sheeps wool from the fences to pad where my brace was rubbing. I would not hesitate to travel with her again and will be on the Cornwall and Plymouth trip this spring.

I have traveled with Gene on trips and I'm looking forward to my second trip to Bhutan next fall with him. The first trip was so full, I want to see what changes have occurred and get even more spectacular photographs. Gene also shares Deirdre's concern for participant health and safety. Tiger's Leap Monastery has to be experienced. In spite of my fear of heights and trails with drop offs, I was able to successfully make it up to the Monastery, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment. All with Gene's support and gentle guidance.

Our trip with BigRoundWorld was outstanding. Throughout our trip we were provided a level of personal experiences that can rarely be found with larger travel companies. If you are looking for “top shelf” care and enjoyment BigRoundWorld is the boutique company you should travel with!