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Observe: This tour is presently totally booked. Nonetheless in case you’d wish to be added to the wait checklist – please e mail me at [email protected].
To essentially expertise Eire – it’s good to really feel it – really feel its land, its rain, its temperate local weather, and most of all – its soul. It is a nation that can not be rushed and exploring it on foot is likely one of the finest methods to expertise it. This enables you the chance to satisfy the locals, come head to head with hundreds of years of historical past, and see what it’s that makes Irish individuals so distinctive.
I’ve partnered with information extraordinaire, Rachel Nolan of Rachel’s Irish Adventures, to place collectively an Ottsworld tour that will carry Nation Mayo’s landscapes, mountain climbing, native tradition, and distinctive touches collectively in an unbelievable custom-made tour.
Overview and Map
Observe: This tour is presently totally booked. Nonetheless in case you’d wish to be added to the wait checklist – please e mail me at [email protected].
Dates: April 20 – 27, 2024
Price: €2,780* (€450 single complement)
It is a small group tour – solely 7 individuals + me! The area will refill quick so join shortly.
*All costs will probably be charged within the Euro – some USD worth fluctuations might happen by the point of your ultimate fee – nevertheless you’ll be able to pay in full at any time and lock within the worth.
This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Eire tour. That is an unique custom-made Ottsworld tour within the firm of me as your host, accompanied by our skilled native Irish information – Rachel. Our small group of seven individuals will get to go to a few of Eire’s best-kept secrets and techniques, hike on distant trails, keep in boutique lodging, meet locals, expertise distinctive Irish tradition, and benefit from the lush inexperienced of the Eire panorama within the spring.
I may even supply pictures instruction for these of you who’re keen on bettering your pictures (cellphone or digital camera). As well as, I will probably be taking pictures of your complete tour and every visitor will get a obtain of all photos I take. So in case you don’t need to take footage – I’ll do it for you!
The journey will discover the entire great thing about County Mayo’s stretch of shoreline alongside the Wild Atlantic Method and its islands. What’s that – you haven’t heard of County Mayo? That’s precisely why I selected it! It’s a hidden gem away from the closely traveled websites in Eire.
Whereas most individuals head to the Ring of Kerry or the Cliffs of Moher, we’ll have the gorgeous shoreline of County Mayo all to ourselves.
Easy methods to E book This Tour
Observe: This tour is presently totally booked. Nonetheless in case you’d wish to be added to the wait checklist – please e mail me at [email protected].
I’d like to speak to you first to reply any of your questions previous to your reserving. Due to this fact observe these steps to guide:
- Ship me an e mail at [email protected] letting me learn about your curiosity. We’ll arrange a name to debate any questions you will have. This will probably be on a primary come first serve foundation – there are solely 7 spots out there on this tour.
- I’ll ship you a fee hyperlink to Rachel’s website the place you’ll be able to guide your deposit and safe your spot for this tradition tour. A 500€ nonrefundable deposit is required to safe a spot.
- Closing fee is due January 21, 2024 (90 Days previous to April 20, 2024)
Cancellation Coverage and Price
- In the event you cancel greater than 90 days earlier than the beginning date of the vacation, you’ll lose the deposit quantity.
- In the event you cancel between 89 – 42 days earlier than beginning date of the vacation, you’ll lose 50% of the vacation price
- In the event you cancel lower than 42 days earlier than the beginning date of the vacation, you’ll lose 100% of the vacation price
I extremely advocate that you just get journey insurance coverage to cowl any dangers of cancellation. I usually use Allianz Journey Insurance coverage for my very own travels and it is rather moderately priced.
Each day Itinerary
The itinerary is one-of-a-kind and is filled with included experiences resembling a number of ‘spa’ experiences, visits to sheep farms, entrance to historical websites, lamb cuddling, cooking expertise, falconry, whiskey tasting, and the prospect to satisfy numerous locals. As well as, now we have included loads of hikes, walks, and even some biking!
Observe: The journey begins in Ballina and ends in Westport. You may be chargeable for your individual transportation to the beginning and from the end, nevertheless, there’s a common prepare and buses which might be simple to take from Dublin with a number of departures instances throughout any given day.
Day 1 – April 20 – Arrival in Ballina Eire
Your vacation kicks off within the charming city of Ballina in County Mayo the place your information will meet you on arrival and switch you to the lodge. Settle into your room and take within the magnificent view over the River Moy and Belleek Woods, go to a museum, and luxuriate in a river stroll.
Take pleasure in a day baking expertise in Marjorie’s Kitchen, hosted by Rachel’s mom in her kitchen. Marjorie is the creator of 4 cookery books and loves nothing greater than to share her ardour within the kitchen, adopted by savoring the fruits of your labor over a scorching cuppa tea.
We’ll take pleasure in a welcome dinner for the group to get to know each other. After dinner in case you have any power left, we’ll hit the city and go to Pat Rouse’s bar, Ballina’s oldest family-owned pub the place a standard Irish music session and singsong will go on late into the evening. It’s possible you’ll even get the prospect to tug your individual pint of Guinness.
Day 1 Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2: Sligo Coast – Following the traces of the Historical Queen Maeve of Connacht
After a refreshing sleep and a scrumptious breakfast. It’s off to hit the paths of Mayo and get our boots soiled for the primary time. As we speak we’ll hike the great Knocknarea hill and add a stone to the hundreds adorning the imposing grave or cairn of Maeve, the good warrior queen, which overlooks Strandhill.
Distance: 7.5km | Elevation achieve 404m | 2-3 hours
It’s time to take pleasure in an natural, fair-trade espresso on the excellent Shells Café which overlooks the strand, having fun with certainly one of their delicious do-it-yourself treats. With time to loosen up and discover this quaint location.
Go to Aughris Head Seashore bar – a standard thatch roof pub and luxuriate in a warming Irish espresso.
Take pleasure in a completely distinctive native expertise and unwind with a seaweed bathtub in Enniscrone. Seaweed baths are literally a centuries-old apply in Eire. Relationship again to the twelfth century, monks harvested seaweed from the coastlines and gave it to the poor as a nourishing meals. We’ll take pleasure in a soak on the 100-plus-year-old Kilcullen’s Bathtub Home perched proper on the coast the place they harvest their seaweed.
Take pleasure in a hearty dinner in Ballina and conventional Irish music at Lilly’s Bar.
Day 2 Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 3: Conventional Irish Trades & Treats
Begin the morning assembly and dealing with birds of prey. The Birds of Prey Expertise is a singular alternative to satisfy and deal with a wide range of Birds on the Mount Falcon Aviary. Get an enchanting perception into the lives of those magnificent creatures and get the prospect to carry and admire them shut up; it’s a really visceral and satisfying expertise!
Tour the Foxford Woollen Mills and be taught the historical past of the mill in addition to how essential it’s to the close by village. Have an opportunity to buy any wool mementos. Take pleasure in lunch on the Woolen Mills Cafe.
Head again to Ballina and get fitted for bikes at Rachel’s bike shed. We’ll cycle to the Monasteries of the Moy, and discover the Belleek woods, and Rosserk Abbey. There will probably be a lot of events to cease off and take footage and be taught concerning the historical past and traditions of the area…just like the Fairy Path!
For anybody who doesn’t need to cycle as we speak, another choice is to sit back out and luxuriate in a soothing remedy in an award-winning spa (at your individual price).
This night you will have an actual deal with earlier than dinner. A whiskey appreciation masterclass, your whisky professional will take you thru a collection of Irish Whiskey and educate you on this world-famous spirit and its origins. Style the completely different whiskeys and ask any questions you’ll have. Following the masterclass, we’ll have dinner at Quay West.
Day 3 Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 4: North Mayo coast (The Ceide Coast)
Depart Ballina with a scenic drive to the coast the place we’ll take a simple strolling route alongside the coast to a hidden seashore. We’ll additionally make a cease on the iconic Downpatrick Head the place your information will carry this place to life with information and folklore about time passed by.
Now it’s time to reward you on your morning’s journey with some scrumptious lunch and home-baked treats at Mary’s Cottage Kitchen. The right place to cease for some tasty residence cooking is located within the coastal village of Ballycastle. Mary’s Cottage Kitchen was constructed within the early 1800s and maintains many conventional options such because the stone wall exterior, open loft, uncovered beams, flag flooring, and a great open fireplace.
Subsequent, it’s time to go to the gorgeous Ceide Fields which is the oldest, most intensive Stone Age monument on the planet, which lies beneath our ft! Consisting of megalithic tombs, fields, and homes, the relics are softly lined by a pure blanket bathroom, which itself is a surprise with its distinctive wildlife. Put together to be blown away on the viewing platform on the fringe of the 110-metre cliff shut by.
Tonight we keep on the luxurious Ceide Glamping Pods. Every of the 6 Glamping Pods comes with a surprising coastal view. And the most effective half is that we are going to have your complete space to ourselves. We’ll take pleasure in dinner within the frequent space whereas we benefit from the sound of the waves crashing on the coast.
Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Off the Overwhelmed Path
After a refreshing sleep and a scrumptious breakfast. It’s off to hit probably the most gorgeous trails in County Mayo. This area of the Wild Atlantic Method has a few of the most dramatic coastlines to be discovered wherever in Eire. The hike we’ll take pleasure in as we speak was described in Lonely Planet as “The best sustained coastal stroll in western Eire, with a profusion of precipitous cliffs, crags, caves, chasms and islands alongside the distant North Mayo coast”.
Distance: 7km | Elevation achieve: 300m | 2-3 hours
After the difficult hike reward your self with a standard heat whiskey and lunch at Connoly’s Pub and luxuriate in assembly some locals at this tiny, distant institution.
Drive to Ballycroy Nationwide Park. Positioned on the Western seaboard in northwest Mayo, the park covers an enormous 15,000 hectares of uninhabited and unspoiled wilderness, dominated by the Nephin Beg mountain vary. To the west of the mountains is the Owenduff Lavatory, one of many final intact lively blanket bathroom methods in Western Europe. If time permits we’ll do a brief stroll there.
Drive to Achill Island, the most important of the Irish isles but it solely has 2500 inhabitants. Right here we’ll keep on the secluded Bervie B&B. The magical beachside home was as soon as a coast guard station, and since 1932 has been the final word escape for the numerous company who’ve stayed right here. It’s a low, tucked-in type of place with a bit of wicket gate giving direct entry to the seashore. There may be an other-worldliness concerning the Bervie that could be very uncommon lately.
In any case of that mountain climbing – take pleasure in some scorching & chilly Atlantic remedy! Heat up within the cute beachside saunas after which cool off with a refreshing dip within the Atlantic Ocean…and repeat. Dinner at Bervie B&B.
Included: Breakfast
Day 6: Achill Island & Clew Bay
After having fun with the most effective breakfast on Achill Island, we’ll drive to Keem Seashore which is honored as among the best seashores on the planet. From there we’ll hike as much as Eire’s highest sea cliffs (it’s steep – however brief)!
Subsequent, we’ll go to the Abandoned Village at Slievemore which consists of some 80 – 100 stone cottages positioned alongside a mile-long stretch of street on the southern slopes of Slievemore Mountain. Settlement on this space dates from not less than early Medieval instances and we’ll get to stroll by way of the village on a simple street stroll.
After lunch on the island, we’ll drive in the direction of the village of Westport. We will have a ‘select your individual journey’ afternoon with a number of stops to select from relying on curiosity, climate, time, and so on)
Keep within the common city of Westport tonight the place we’ll take pleasure in dinner, dwell music, and iconic pubs.
Included: Breakfast
Day 7: Killary Fjord & South Mayo
Morning drive alongside Clew Bay and cease on the iconic Croagh Patrick to take pleasure in views of the notorious peak that hundreds pilgrimage to the highest of.
Lunch outdoor if climate permits. For animal lovers, we get to go to an iconic Eire sheep farm. The Killary Sheep Farm in Connemara is a standard working mountain farm with approx 200 ewes and lambs roaming freely within the mountain overlooking Killary Fjord, on the Wild Atlantic Method. Right here we’ll get to see a sheepdog demonstration, be taught concerning the farm, and even get to cuddle some spring lambs!
We’ll head again to Westport the place you’ll get time to do some ultimate memento purchasing and luxuriate in extra of the colourful city. We’ll have our goodbye dinner (how did it go so quick?!) in Westport that night the place we are able to share our favourite Eire recollections and experience our new friendships.
Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: April 27 – Departure Day
After breakfast, you’ll be able to catch the prepare again to Dublin, or perhaps you’ll resolve to stay round and luxuriate in extra of Eire’s west coast!
Practice to Dublin (direct):
- 07:15 – 10:27
- 09:45 – 13:04
- 13:10 – 16:29
- 18:20 – 21:36
(Instances may be barely completely different in 2024)
Bus to Galway:
- 06:18
- 09:19
- 12:27
- 15:19
- 18:19
(Approx. 2 hours)
What’s Included
- 7 nights keep in an en-suite room at our premium hand-picked lodging.
- Scrumptious Full Irish breakfast every morning, and three Dinners.
- 7 days of actions with an professional Irish information who will accompany the group throughout the vacation
- All experiences as outlined within the itinerary; Whiskey Tasting, Foxford woolen mills, baking class, Seaweed bathtub, Ceide Fields, sheepdog demonstration, Sauna Achill Island, and bike rental.
- Courtesy transfers to and from every day’s strolling places and all transport as outlined within the itinerary.
- Fundamental pictures instruction through the journey.
- Entry to a full gallery of photographs (shot by me!) of your complete journey, which you should utilize for private functions.
What’s Not Included:
- Flights to/from Eire
- Transportation to Ballina and departure from Westport
- Journey Insurance coverage
- Some dinners and lunches
- Private drinks
- Medical prices
- Gratuities
Our Superior Native Information
When you will have the proper information, it will probably ‘make’ a whole journey! Rachel is the final word outside information. She’s an unbelievable athlete and such an exquisite advocate of her residence area in County Mayo. One in every of my favourite issues about staying in Ballina is that it’s the city she grew up in (and nonetheless lives there) and with that comes unbelievable native connections. In truth, we could have a particular cooking class from her mom. It doesn’t get way more native than that! Plus, Rachel ensures that we all know everybody on the town introducing us to the bartenders after we go right into a pub, restaurant house owners, and even the native man who smokes fish.
Opinions
What makes this tour ‘Ottsworld’? This isn’t your common tour…it’s an Ottsworld tour. I have to confess – that I’m form of a journey snob. I don’t love to do the ‘anticipated’ or see the everyday sights; I like to hunt out the bizarre, and fewer traveled. I’ve labored collectively very intently with Rachel to place collectively a tour that impresses even me! It has all of my favourite parts in it: mountain climbing, native journey, booze, hands-on native experiences, and pictures. Sure – all of this in solely 8 days! Right here’s what previous company needed to say beneath.
“Undoubtedly a ten! I actually loved the truth that the tour was a ‘white glove supply’ experience- all the things was so meticulously deliberate so we didn’t have to fret about transportation, meals, what we’re doing for the day, or if we’re making an attempt to an excessive amount of or not sufficient. I went again to reread the outline of the tour (printed in Could) after we returned residence and couldn’t imagine that we hit EVERY. SINGLE. ITEM. AS. PLANNED.”
“It was good for me, a bit difficult however that’s what I like. The primary day was probably the most stunning, second probably the most difficult, third very attention-grabbing with the steps by way of the woods.”
“Undoubtedly met expectations and in addition uncovered me to issues I’m certain I’d not have thought-about if I used to be planning a visit.”
“Meals was AWESOME – manner higher than anticipated. Appreciated doing issues I’d not have achieved by myself.”
“Thanks on your endurance in serving to us seize wonderful recollections! The one factor I knew earlier than your class was the rule of thirds, and now I’ve an important basis of data to construct upon – no extra level and shoot! Instagram be careful!”
Who Ought to Think about This Tour?
- Individuals who wish to discover lesser-known locations, and be adventurous and lively.
- People who find themselves versatile. You need to be prepared to exhibit flexibility, as itineraries could change attributable to climate, and it helps in case you have a ‘prepared to attempt new issues’ angle.
- Individuals who don’t thoughts getting moist or having fun with the joy of inclement climate.
- Individuals who really feel snug mountain climbing 3 to five miles in uneven terrain.
Images
When you’ve got any questions – please be happy to contact me at [email protected]. I’m completely happy to reply something concerning the journey!
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