A truly interesting trip to Oman in part of the world we had never considered visiting before we saw the YellowWood trip information.

A fascinating country which hasn't been spoiled by oil money like some other Gulf states and still retains a lot of history and beauty of it's mountains, coast and deserts. Our head guide was superb and managed superbly in highly stressful situations such as having to suddenly abandon a night's desert camping due to a rainstorm and find alternative shelter for 10 people. The rainstorms that hit Oman made alterations to our itinerary inevitable but we still ended up visiting some fantastic locations, although this entailed some lengthy drives which were a bit mind and bum numbing!

Oman is well worth a trip with YellowWood!

I really enjoyed my 14 days in Western Uganda trip. It had an excellent mix of wildlife, culture and geography. The mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys and safari hikes and drives were amazing. It was a very good itinerary. Communication with YellowWood Adventures was quick and straight forward even though I was of a last minute addition from Canada. The trip information on their site was accurate and informative. The guide, Paul O, picked for this tour was excellent. He was knowledgeable, good communicator and very well organized.

Uganda Adventure I have been to a lot of places around the world But this is the first time I have been on such an Adventure. This was so well thought out and balanced each day. Although I am older I managed to accomplish all the climbs. The guide team was the most organised,patient,and made sure I achieved my potential. The Ugandan people were so friendly and hospitable. Before the holiday I spoke to Sam McManus several times who answered the most trivial of questions very positively. So thank you for a most rewarding experience. Christine Dadd.

The trip to Uganda was extremely well organised and thought out with a great variety of activities to cover a wide range of interests!! The on-the-ground team was very helpful and reliable and so was the organisation and assistance prior to the trip. I would absolutely recommend booking a trip with Yellowwood to Uganda!

This is my third trip with YellowWood (previously Iran and Ethiopia) and I can't wait for the next one! A truly amazing adventure exploring Uganda - from the highlight of seeing chimps and gorillas, to interacting with local communities and staying in some gorgeous places, YellowWood again lived up to billing. It was a sensitively planned itinerary, with lots of time to see animals but also experience other things that Uganda has to offer e.g. hiking. YellowWood has a nack of picking incredible local guides and this made the experience even more engaging and memorable. Communication from the team throughout was great, and as always, appreciate Sam taking the time to call ahead of the trip, and Emma for her work on logistics.

Our trip to (and through) Lebanon with YellowWood Adventures was singular, memorable, various, well-conceived and well-led. The historical and cultural richness and complexity of the country came through in full relief as we experienced Beirut, for example, by walking and touring its teeming streets and quieter neighborhoods and then covering such disparate locations throughout the country as holy cedar forests, ancient sea-side cities and forested valleys dotted with monasteries.

The level of information and passion offered by guides at particular sites (Baalbek, Byblos and the National Museum of Beirut, for example) was very high and it was clear YellowWood chose these guides with care and engaged them for us ahead of time rather than defaulting to whoever might happen to be on duty that day at a given site or museum. This made a great difference in the quality of our experience.

The perspectives and knowledge these experts offered was anything but rote and often the leader of these tours was deeply involved in the sites or materials at a scholarly or professional level well beyond their work as docents. Though we visited many tourist sites, I never felt like a beleaguered tourist: the number of visitors at most destinations was not overwhelming. In fact, one of the great boons of travel in Lebanon is that spectacular sites – the ruins at Baalbek or the site of Phoenician Byblos — that would rightly draw throngs in a more frequented country were wonderfully accessible and not overly crowded.

At many of our destinations, we felt as though we were private visitors, though the sites, from national palaces to ancient defensive caves in the mountains, were, of course, parks and landmarks open to the public. Imagine having largely to yourselves the ancient valley trail out from the Convent of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya founded in Roman Phoenicia through waterfalls and abundant fruit trees – a form of time travel to walk the path walked by pilgrims and visitors for nearly 2000 years.

Our YellowWood guide Emmanuel proved an excellent leader – knowledgeable, experienced, learned in a number of relevant fields and good company to boot. I felt we were in excellent hands throughout and also appreciated how Emmanuel went to bat for us in any situation where he could make our experience better or right anything that might be amiss. A very kind and equitable man, he also could summon an effective and steely confidence when necessary to make sure those of us in his group were well taken care of. With a new coach helmed by an excellent and companionable driver, the travel was easy and the scenery through the bus window often spectacular. I didn’t go into the experience expecting particularly strenuous hikes or challenging outdoor adventures but thought perhaps we’d do a bit more hiking than we did — sometimes a hike was optional and we often took that option as a group and were glad for it.

Lebanon is a marvel: various, almost unthinkably rich in history, occasionally hectic, sometimes surprisingly pastoral, culturally vivid and welcoming. I also want to note that Sam and his team at YellowWood made planning our trip very personal – when the dates for an already-established Lebanon trip didn’t work for our group, we were able to choose our own dates and refine the itinerary to meet our needs. We travelled as two fathers with teenage sons and an older cousin of one of the boys and the company did a wonderful job answering our questions about traveling with our kids and then, once we were there, making the trip a pleasure that worked for all of us, whatever our ages. It felt good not to feel a mere factor in a business plan but a group of human beings who were valued as individuals with particular needs and interests.

I just wanted to thank all of you for an absolutely fantastic trip. Mongolia in the winter isn’t a common thing for tourists and I really appreciate all the effort. I have had the best time. I will definitely be in touch for more adventures. The guide was so amazing, the driver was the most lovely person. As a solo female traveller I was safe, looked after and was given the best experience I’ve had on a trip. I will be back!

Had a fantastic time in Bhutan with YellowWood Adventures. It was a small group so we could be flexible with the itinerary. The local partner, guide and driver were wonderful and really went out of their way to make it a great experience. We walked some of the beautiful Trans Bhutan Trail and visited some amazing cultural sites. Our guide was really knowledgeable and gave us a great insight into the country and its culture. We stayed in really good accommodation. All in all I would thoroughly recommend it.

From Bhati Dube

Georgia/ Armenia - September 2023

It was a well planned and executed trip. We had a taste of food, history, culture, art and people in a short period of time at a comfortable pace ! Lady guides in both the countries were good and helpful. Sulphur springs Hamam in Tblisi was enjoyable and so was the yummy jam of walnut in Yerevan. Lotus carving symbol ( considered very auspicious in India) in Geghard Monastery brought back half a century old memories when while travelling Euroasia by road I had seen the same symbol on the ceiling of Baalbek temple (Lebanon) and at the entrance of Roman villas in the outskirts of Gaziantep ((Turkey). Silk Road Traders Legacy perhaps I thought.

I had never been on a group tour before so was a little unsure of what to expect but found myself in a group of 12 really nice people of different ages and all walks of life from two younger Ukrainian women, three grown-up son’s with their father from the UK, a fireman, really friendly women from California, Australia and Scotland and a really great guy, professional equestrian who looked after everyone and made jokes all the time. Although all of us different, our group really gelled together through our sense of adventure and experiencing something extraordinary – and it made it even more fun to be able to share these experiences together.



I’m not an experienced horse rider so I was also a little nervous about this too, but our Mongolian guide and horsemen looked after us so well I was free to just really enjoy myself and by the end I was cantering alongside the more experienced riders and just loved it! Mongolia is a fantastic country and I would recommend it to anyone. YellowWood picks itineraries that are unusual and really authentic – we stayed with local families and I really felt a part of the country – I can’t wait to do another trip with them it is a real eye-opener. Highly recommended.

Sagsai Eagle Festival Adventure 9/11-20/2023
**Disclaimer**
I have never taken a pre-planned group tour with strangers. I am a solo traveler or one who maybe travels with a daughter or two, but always making our own way. So, this adventure was a leap of faith for me. With that in mind, this review is really written for travelers like me who might be on the fence about joining a tour. All the events on the planned itinerary could be checked off, the group was small (7) as promised and we all got our pictures. But really the crux of a truly memorable travel experience is the community that you are with and meet, so here are some of my highlights and takeaways that will have me researching another experience with YELLOWWOOD ADVENTURES (yellowwoodadventures.com)

• Call from Sam (owner) in the right time zone (London to Hawaii) responding to my innocuous email inquiry. I was surprised to get a call from London and pleased that Sam was so laid-back and invitational. It led me to research more about Yellowwood Adventures, the small group design and their work with the local communities of the countries they visited. This personal communication continued from the moment I put down a deposit to 9 months later when the adventure began
• Smooth pickup at the airport with driver waiting, no English on his part, however on the one hour drive through heavy traffic, he allowed me to practice my beginning Mongolian with him and responded with good humor
• Meeting 6 people on the tour who were all strangers to each other but were so like-minded and perfectly matched that we could spend the next 10 days with each other almost 24/7 without a single disruptive event. Sleeping in the same ger, eating all our meals as a family, experiencing serious 5-6 hour off-roading days in two all-metal Russian mini-vans (not for the faint of heart or stomach) and still parting as friends. I would host any or all of them at my home
• Having our own personal cook accompany us on the journey who, with her assistant, prepared incredible breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners every night we were out on the steppes
• Being invited into the cook’s ger early morning while others slept and then welcomed as an assistant in preparing breakfast while they quizzed me on my Kazakh language skills
• Our amazing creative team of Dawaa (guide), Altin and Abu (drivers) who became a part of our family~~sharing jokes, personal stories, patiently answering questions. My special thanks to Altin, Alma (chef) and Rosy who took the time to encourage my language lessons in Mongolian and Kazakh and who all remembered by birthday with an amazing cake and vodka shots. And to Altin who knew how much I wanted to find CD’s of Mongolian and Kazakh music and when this was not possible, presented me his own curated playlist of 125 songs on a flashdrive as a birthday gift
• The care that the entire team took to satisfy not only what the itinerary promised, but what each individual wanted to take away from this adventure. To that end, the time they took to find a family who had a herd of horses they were willing to let strangers ride was over and beyond. Through our drivers’ personal connections, we were saddled up on horses that belonged to specifically to others and given free-rein over the next couple of hours~~pointed in a direction and told to ride and they would see us on the other side of the plateau. No lead ropes, no guide with us. Simply surreal experience and so very trusting

Thank you Sam, Katia and Emma and the rest of your team for putting this trip together. Huge mahalos to Dawaa, Altin, Abu, Alma and Rosy and all the families that hosted us during our time in Mongolia. Looking forward to another adventure soon!

Great people, great landscapes, great weather, great horses...nothing less than a truly spectacular off-the-grid excursion. I want to go again next year!

I don’t normally write reviews but on this occasion I felt I had to.
This was a trip of a lifetime for me and I learned to ride just for it.
YellowWood are a great company to go with. Sam (with his vast experience of travelling in the area) was a great leader and the the guides a drivers were very professional, kind and helpful.
The scenery was amazing and the horses were calm and could handle anything asked of them.
The group dynamics worked really well and everyone got on well and had a great experience. Sam and Dawaa our guide did everything they could to make the journey as smooth and pleasurable as possible.
I would recommend YellowWood to anyone and would travel again with them.
Thanks Sam.

Experience of a lifetime. This is the kind of trip where booking through a company like YellowWood makes perfect sense. We wouldn’t have achieved anything like the experience we had without the knowledge and expertise of YellowWood (if we tried to do it alone, frankly, almost all of it would have been impossible.) Our lovely guide Dawaa was so warm, informative, professional and was a really calming influence - she allowed us to really soak up the experience safe in the knowledge that we were in very reliable hands. Our drivers, despite speaking only a few words of english were so much fun, they really felt part of the group and everything they did for us was done with a smile. The scenery was absolutely awe-inspiring and the horses we rode were calm, very manageable for inexperienced riders and their strength and stamina was incredible. Thank you!

Ladakh walking trip. Very enjoyable trip with a good mix of visiting monasteries and learning about the culture and then some walking through local villages staying in homestays. The local guide Rigzen Ldumra who is a freelancer was amazing and really made the trip. Would recommend asking for him if you book through Yellowwood. The walking itself isn't too challenging, it's at altitude but plenty of time each day to do it. However, the sun is incredibly strong

Sam organised a fantastic trip for my family with teenage children to Mongolia. Unforgettable experience all round.. Amazing Mongolia and thank you to Sam and our guide Oyu for organising such a unique adventure for us all.

I was a lucky last minute addition to a private trip to Morocco planned by a friend with YellowWood Adventures. Sam and Katia rallied with grace and good humor to book rooms and activities for me to match the goup's planned itinerary just one week before departure. The trip was a perfect mix of culture with stops in Casablanca, Volubilis, Chefchouaen, Fes and Marrakech followed by a wonderful week hiking in the High Atlas mountains based at the delightful Kasbah du Toubkal and its trekking lodge in the Azzedine Valley. Our guides for the "city" portion and the trekking were knowledgeable, interesting, entertaining and thoughtful in giving us a tailored experience of their fascinating country. Sam and Katia communicated promptly and with good humor to our questions and requests for itinerary tweaks and changes. I had always wanted to visit Morocco. YellowWood helped design a wonderful trip that I will always remember. I will definitely plan another trip with YellowWood Adventures. I highly recommend them.

I have worked with numerous travel companies and YellowWood Adventures is a stand out. Their planning and execution of our trip to Morocco was outstanding. From the Riads and Kasbah selections to our guides and drivers. The trip was exciting and interesting - they made everything easy and made sure we experienced the real Morocco through numerous cultural exchanges, tasty meals, local hotels, etc. I will definitely book another trip with them to somewhere exotic!

Fantastic trip! We made quite a few changes to our itinerary, some last minute that involved number of people traveling. Katia and Sam were timely in their responses and extremely accommodating.
We appreciated the detail and thought that went into our itinerary. A perfect combination of cultural immersion and outdoor activities. The guides were fun to hang out with, very knowledgeable and great humans.

Can't wait to plan another trip with YellowWood!

This trip to Lebanon was one of the best I've done to date. From our trips down and along the coast, up the mountains, and in-between the valleys, Yellowwood took great care in making sure we got to see all the wonderful landscapes Lebanon has to offer. The locals are friendly, and the food is amazing! If you're looking for a trip draped in history, culture, and draw dropping scenery, then look no further.