AITO: The Association of Independent Tour Operators
Absolute Escapes

Absolute Escapes Traveller Reviews

Reviews of Absolute Escapes

Overall Company Rating
99%
Excellent 729
Good 20
Average 4
Poor 1
Terrible 0
Reviews Submitted: 754
Reviews Accepted: 754
Reviews Rejected: 0
754 reviews
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Absolute Escapes by No, 1 Jul 2015
Holiday Rating:

Disappointing walking. Poor accommodation on 2 nights.

We would not recommend the Speyside Way as a long distance walk. This of course is not the responsibility of Absolute Escapes. Much of the walking is tedious - enclosed in trees and certainly not along the River Spey. Miles of the footpath are enclosed in barbed wire corridors of uneven ground which is not maintained - hence very wet feet from long grass.

We would not recommend the Speyside Way as a long distance walk. This of course is not the responsibility of Absolute Escapes. Much of the walking is tedious - enclosed in trees and certainly not along the River Spey. Miles of the footpath are enclosed in barbed wire corridors of uneven ground which is not maintained - hence very wet feet from long grass.

Rating for tour operator:

The two nights accommodation in Boat of Garten and Tomintoul were far below the standard we expected - and consider we paid for. Boat of Garten can best be described as threadbare with mouldy bathroom. The breakfast was totally unacceptable. In Tomintoul the room was dirty - particularly the bathroom. The breakfast we selected was not nice. There was little to choose from regarding fruit etc. no toast and just a loaf of inedible home made bread which had been handled by other guests. We think we were ripped off in this respect. The other three B&Bs were very good and of the standard we had expected for the whole holiday.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 07 Jul 2015:

Thank you for your comments, although I was disappointed that you didn't enjoy the Speyside Way and the accommodation for 2 of your nights. I will certainly pass your comments onto the Speyside Way Rangers as I'm sure they'd be interested to hear your views on the trail. I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed walking the Speyside Way and, having walked most of the long distance trails that we offer in Scotland, it's certainly one of my favourites. While perhaps not the most challenging of walks I really enjoyed the more gentle scenery and lush landscapes, with some great views of the Cairngorms as you approach Aviemore. I appreciate that you walked from Aviemore to Buckie, so perhaps this gives the trail a different perspective. I was sorry that you had a poor experience at your accommodation in Boat of Garten and Tomintoul - we will certainly take these issues up with the respective Guest Houses. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by BillyBoy, 30 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

A great walk in the (highland) park

The WHW is altogether a great and beautiful walk, as long as the weather conditions are not too bad. But this is true for every treck. Also accomondation is great with the exception of Kinghouse and here the very old bathrooms. But for one night that's ok. The only thing which I felt was a bit annoying was the street which sometimes accompanied the WHW. I asked for nature and silenec but sometimes you hear loud traffic noises :-(

The WHW is altogether a great and beautiful walk, as long as the weather conditions are not too bad. But this is true for every treck. Also accomondation is great with the exception of Kinghouse and here the very old bathrooms. But for one night that's ok. The only thing which I felt was a bit annoying was the street which sometimes accompanied the WHW. I asked for nature and silenec but sometimes you hear loud traffic noises :-(

Rating for tour operator:

Absolut Escapes did a great job.Always engaged, fast, communicative and caring. No need to check another operator if you book with those girls and guys.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 07 Jul 2015:

Many thanks for your review and pleased to hear that you felt we did a great job - this is much appreciated! Thank you also for your feedback on the walk - it's true that the West Highland Way does have quite a busy 'A' road alongside it for some parts, but we hope that the surrounding scenery makes up for this. I see from the photos that you also sent us that the weather wasn't too good for your walk, so perhaps you weren't able to appreciate the views as much as normal. We'll also pass on your comments about Kingshouse - as the hotel has been taken over quite recently we understand that there are plans to refurbish in the near future. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by Jasmin Max, 30 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

West Highland Way

Walking the West Highland Way was fantastic. Having booked through Absolute Escapes was amazing. The B & B's we stayed in were delightful, and the old hotels were enchanting. Having our luggage transported for us every day eased the burden of carrying too big a load ourselves. We met some great people along the way. Walking in Spring was delightful. The baby lambs with their little black faces and legs were so gorgeous I wanted to take one ...

Walking the West Highland Way was fantastic. Having booked through Absolute Escapes was amazing. The B & B's we stayed in were delightful, and the old hotels were enchanting. Having our luggage transported for us every day eased the burden of carrying too big a load ourselves. We met some great people along the way. Walking in Spring was delightful. The baby lambs with their little black faces and legs were so gorgeous I wanted to take one home with me. The bluebells were everywhere. The rain brought the scenery to life with gushing waterfalls and brilliant colours all around us.

Rating for tour operator:

The tour operator took all the burden of trying to find places to stay when we were not sure where we would end up each day. They paced the walk really well and every day was manageable. Having our bags carried every day was excellent as we knew we had the comfort of plenty of clothes and toiletries waiting for us at every stop.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 04 Jul 2015:

Thank you for your review and we were so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your walk along the West Highland Way. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by Mrs Mac, 29 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

Fantastic holiday on the West Highland Way - Would definately recommend

We had a fantastic holiday walking the West Highland. Totally stress free, luggage was at our accommodation on arrival each day, and could not complain about accommodation all good, great hosts and good breakfasts/pack lunches provided. The walk itself was amazing with some really breath taking scenery and we met so many lovely people along the way.

We had a fantastic holiday walking the West Highland. Totally stress free, luggage was at our accommodation on arrival each day, and could not complain about accommodation all good, great hosts and good breakfasts/pack lunches provided. The walk itself was amazing with some really breath taking scenery and we met so many lovely people along the way.

Rating for tour operator:

Fantastic, they arranged all our accommodation along the way and the itinerary and directions etc., were spot on. They even gave you recommendations/ suggestions for eating out in the evening. Luggage arranged to be picked up and dropped of at accommodation. Completely stress free. Will definitely use Absolute Escapes again to arrange any future walking holidays.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 04 Jul 2015:

Thank you very much for your review and delighted to hear that you enjoyed the West Highland Way. It certainly has some of the most spectacular scenery of any of the walks that we offer, and glad all of the arrangements were to your satisfaction. Please don't hesitate to contact us again if we can assist with any more walking adventures. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by Sandy, 27 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

Outstanding

We had excellent arrangements despite much evidence of good accommodation being in short supply. Weather was not ideal but was mostly dry and we saw good wildlife particularly birds. We intended more walking but the walking we had was good, certainly on Skye

We had excellent arrangements despite much evidence of good accommodation being in short supply. Weather was not ideal but was mostly dry and we saw good wildlife particularly birds. We intended more walking but the walking we had was good, certainly on Skye

Rating for tour operator:

Absolute Escapes organised all aspects of our holiday really well. The accommodation was good despite there being a serious shortage of rooms available. The hosts were knowledgeable and helpful. Skye was particularly busy but our hostess booked us in an excellent restaurant each night though many people were being turned away. I would therefore consider that Absolute Escapes selection of hosts was excellent

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 04 Jul 2015:

Thank you very much for your review and we were delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour. We are fortunate to work with some excellent Guest Houses and Hotels throughout the Hebrides and Skye, so it was pleasing to hear that you were looked after so well. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by guincho, 27 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

Beautiful islands, friendly people but with a couple of exceptions very poor food.

Excellent holiday in the Hebrides with well organized ferry bookings and hotels. Very surprising lack of local produce in restaurants - in particular fish. Made up for by stunning scenery and walks.

Excellent holiday in the Hebrides with well organized ferry bookings and hotels. Very surprising lack of local produce in restaurants - in particular fish. Made up for by stunning scenery and walks.

Rating for tour operator:

Agents descriptions broadly accurate although description of hotels tended to be very generous. I would suggest it is better to under promise and over deliver rather than the other way round.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 04 Jul 2015:

Thank you for your feedback, and I have responded separately to your comments over the accommodation descriptions. As I mentioned in my email it wasn't our intention to 'over sell' these establishments, as our descriptions are based on a combination of our own experience and descriptions provided by the accommodation providers themselves. Having said this, we have certainly taken on board your comments and have reviewed the descriptions accordingly. I would like to thank you once again for choosing to book with us and I'm glad that the scenery and walking lived up to its reputation. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by hornet fan, 27 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

Met all expectations

Before booking we had a broad idea of places we wanted to visit our tour operator expanded this and by so doing improved our enjoyment of the holiday.A particular highlight was the drive over the Pass of the Cattle. All in all a great holiday and a great driving experience which was the purpose.

Before booking we had a broad idea of places we wanted to visit our tour operator expanded this and by so doing improved our enjoyment of the holiday.A particular highlight was the drive over the Pass of the Cattle. All in all a great holiday and a great driving experience which was the purpose.

Rating for tour operator:

From the very beginning Absolute Escapes were excellent whether with online information or by telephone.Our holiday lived upto their title.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 03 Jul 2015:

Thank you for your feedback and we're delighted you enjoyed your very own 'absolute escape'. The Pass of the Cattle is certainly one of our favourite drives in Scotland, and the view from the top is spectacular, so glad to hear you were able to include it in your tour. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by philwupdx, 26 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

Wonderful experience on the Great Glen Way

My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our trek along the Great Glen Way. The level of difficulty was just about right, and the mileage each day was manageable, with the possible exception of the final leg from Drumnodrochit to Inverness (18 miles). The weather cooperated for the most part. it was a great introduction to the Highlands.

My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our trek along the Great Glen Way. The level of difficulty was just about right, and the mileage each day was manageable, with the possible exception of the final leg from Drumnodrochit to Inverness (18 miles). The weather cooperated for the most part. it was a great introduction to the Highlands.

Rating for tour operator:

Absolute Escapes did a fantastic job in all of our logistics and travel arrangements. We have some recommendations to offer about the baggage transfer service, which I think set an unreasonably low weight limit especially for travelers coming from the United States who might be spending considerably more time in Scotland beyond just the walk, itself. We will provide this feedback directly to Absolute Escapes.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 03 Jul 2015:

We were pleased to hear that you enjoyed the Great Glen Way - a wonderful way to see the Highlands! Thank you for your feedback concerning the weight limit on the bag transfers - we will certainly look to improve this in the future. Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by Claire F, 26 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

West Highland way

Great standard of accomodation, all hotels were conveniently situated to the route, and baggage was transferred without any hitches.

Great standard of accomodation, all hotels were conveniently situated to the route, and baggage was transferred without any hitches.

Rating for tour operator:

Absolute Escapes arranged everything promptly without any problems

Absolute Escapes by Heatherf, 26 Jun 2015
Holiday Rating:

A challenge!

Excellent accommodation apart from Kings Head but the bed was very clean. The food was excellent also. I understand it is being upgraded next year though. Loved out B and B accommodation in Tynedrum and esp at Kinlochleven.

Excellent accommodation apart from Kings Head but the bed was very clean. The food was excellent also. I understand it is being upgraded next year though. Loved out B and B accommodation in Tynedrum and esp at Kinlochleven.

Rating for tour operator:

Very good apart from taxi number was incorrect at Tynedrum.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 03 Jul 2015:

Thank you for your feedback, and our apologies for the incorrect taxi number being included for Tyndrum. This had recently changed, and we amended the information as soon as you informed us it was incorrect, so thank you for letting us know. I hope this didn't deter from your enjoyment of the walk. Andy Gabe