I’m a wheelchair user looking to book a multi-day group tour. Are there any travel agencies that can help me? Group tours have traditionally been a challenging area for wheelchair users. However, there are specialist companies providing a more inclusive offer. Limitless Travel runs curated group holidays with qualified carers on every tour plus accessible transportation and accommodation. Its coach tours cover most of the UK, with highlights including the Somerset & the Seaside
and Scotland Explorer itineraries. The latter begins in Edinburgh’s historic core and ends with whisky tasting at Loch Lomond. Its vehicles are fitted with a ramp or a hydraulic lift and wheelchairs can be clamped into place, so there’s no need to transfer out of your wheelchair. Limitless also offers trips to destinations including Sicily, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and South Africa. Five- to eight-day tours start from £1,099 per person, including excursions, transport and hotel accommodation,
excluding flights. You also have the option to add personal and one-on-one care packages.
limitlesstravel.org Other companies to
consider are Enable Holidays and Wheel the World. The former offers a seven-night trip to Crete, taking in the island’s grove-swaddled valleys and lakeside villages, while the latter’s eight- to 10-person tours include a safari-based itinerary in South Africa.
enableholidays.com
wheeltheworld.com CARRIE-ANN LIGHTLEY
I’m keen to try a long- distance bikepacking trip in the UK but I hate the idea of riding on busy roads. What are my best options? While it’s nearly impossible to escape roads entirely, many UK bikepacking routes make good use of off-road trails, relying on only occasional stretches of tarmac to link them together. In England, Cycling UK’s Cantii Way in Kent (145 miles) and Norfolk’s Rebellion Way (232 miles) are good choices for beginners. Following quiet byways, traffic-free backroads
and cycle paths, both take riders off the beaten track while offering plenty of opportunity for sightseeing.
cyclinguk.org Scotland is equally blessed
with remote routes. Try An Turas Mor (Scots Gaelic for ‘the long journey’). Stretching 354 miles from Glasgow to Cape Wrath, it’s a more challenging option and best done on a mountain bike, taking riders deep into the Highlands via steep gravel trails and off-road passes. It should take you around eight days.
anturasmor.co.uk
There’s also Wales’s latest
long-distance route: the 124-mile Traws Eryri trail. At a leisurely pace, it should take you around four to five days to complete in full, weaving past the Mawddach Estuary and through Coed-y-Brenin forest and Eryri National Park (formerly Snowdonia National Park). Thanks to new access rights, you won’t have to navigate traffic to link these landscapes together, as the route is almost entirely off- road.
cyclinguk.org SAM JONES
I’m too late to book a trip to experience Japan’s cherry blossom season this year, but would like to be organised for next year — when should I book and where should I go? Japan’s sakura (cherry blossom season) is incredibly popular, so my advice would be to book about one year before travel. Once you’re there, head to Ueno Park in Tokyo, an oasis of pink and white flowers. Locals love to gather under the falling petals for hanami (picnic parties to observe the blossom). In Kyoto, a stroll along the Philosopher’s Path, lined with hundreds of cherry trees, is a must. Maruyam Park is another of the city’s highlights. It’s illuminated until midnight each day so nocturnal viewing is possible. Japan’s two most touristy cities are always going to be busy, however, so I’d recommend stopping in smaller towns and cities, too. Himeji Castle, west of Osaka, is great for photos. But for the ultimate cherry blossom overload it has to be Mount Yoshino, east of Osaka, as it’s covered in over 30,000 cherry trees. Spring is sakura season, but Japan
is fantastic year-round. Autumn is the second-busiest season, thanks to its stunning displays of orange and red foliage. As with spring, it’s recommended you book a year in advance for availability in the best viewing destinations. Trailfinders’ 15-day Undiscovered Japan itinerary explores the country’s lesser-visited highlights and costs £5,449 per person, based on two adults travelling. The cost includes accommodation, international flights, some meals and activities and local transport.
trailfinders.com ROBBIE O’BRIEN
MARCH 2024 153
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