How was your Explore Tour Leader?

The tour leader, Elaine, was excellent - the best tour leader I have ever had.  She was knowledgeable, thoughtful, helpful and a great person.  She ensured we got to sites early to avoid the crowds.  It was also good that we had a local tour guide, as he made the site visits more informative, and could also help deciphering the food menus!

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Pack light!  We stayed a few nights at each destination, so there was plenty of opportunity for laundry.
Ensure you take your swimming stuff, as there were opportunities for swimming and snorkelling.
Don't be intimidated by Palermo - its a wonderful, safe city."

Do you have anything else to add?

Although you don't see all of Sicily, this trip certainly takes you to the best places.  A one week holiday is not enough. This tour had the right balance of sightseeing, whilst not being rushed.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Great, obviously proud to be a Sicilian and yet totally honest about the good and bad sides of the country, its peop;e and politics. A mine on information and a great lecturer and guide. He opened our eyes, an accomplished lecturerer and delighted to show us the hidden delights of his country.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Go with an open mind and be prepared to be suprised. Take every opportunity to explore on your own abnd be guided by your guide so yoyu dont miss out on some of the hidden delights especially in the larger cities

Do you have anything else to add?

If there were not so many other tempting places to visit and explore I would be happy to do this tour all over again. Having been on several Explore holidays I would still rate the Backroads of Poland as the best holiday ever for its variety, history a variety of places and activities, a holiday never to forget and one I have recommended to many friends who have also been and agrees with my feelings.

If it's bloody history you want, this is the tour for you. Sicily has it by the bucket full.  Successive waves of invasion make it one of the most fought over places in Europe. Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs, Normans, they all wanted a piece of this fertile, sunny and strategically important island. Then there were the human sacrifices which were carried out by the Carthaginians at one of the sites we visited, Motya, off the west coast of Sicily. And the mafia of course. The place where judge Falcone was assassinated is marked by a plaque on the way into Palermo. The Greeks did at least leave behind some impressive ruins. My particular favourite is Selinunte, set in a peaceful location overlooking the sea. Giant carved blocks of stone from the fallen columns and pediments of several temples lie in a chaotic jumble. One temple, partially restored in the 1950s gives an idea of how magnificent they would have looked. Walking the streets of the nearby acropolis, with shops and houses either side, their walls standing shoulder high, it is possible to imagine what life in the ancient city might have been like. And so much remains to be excavated including the theatre, which must have been huge for a city this size. Other highlights? The Norman mosaic decorations inside various churches in Palermo and Cefalu are stunning - go and see the ones in the small church of La Martorana (which wasn't included in the itinerary), as well as those in the big cathedrals. The baroque architecture in Syracuse, Noto and other places is also pretty amazing. Elaborate decoration on an enormous scale. A fantasy of flying putti, marble twisted columns, swirling staircases, balconies supported by grotesque figures - frankly I found it all slightly odd, barmy even, but you have to admire the heightened sense of civic pride and personal vanity, not to mention  the skill of the craftsmen, that produced it. Disappointments? There were a few, the closure of the roman villa at Piazza Armerina in particular. This is one of Sicily's star attractions and I question whether Explore should have arranged the tour unless they knew it would definitely be open. Another site (Segesta) was also closed, as well as the main archaeological museum in Palermo (due to yet another invasion, this time by cockroaches). Overall though a good tour which I would recommend, though not for the squeamish. (SCS- 19th June 2010)