Ballymaloe & Cork Traveller Reviews

As always the entire trip was very well organised. Hotel of top standard. Tom Duncan is an excellent guide in every way and provides a varied and stimulating programme.

Ciceroni always provides interesting venues and access to places that as an individual traveller one could not visit. I have travelled with Tom Duncan many times and have enjoyed all my trips.

very good combination of enjoyment and learning about Ireland

Ciceroni have been model tour operators

The carefully prepared programme ran like clockwork and the hotel, Ballymaloe ,was excellent in every respect.

Tom Duncan is a very competent organiser, highly qualified art historian and excellent company. He has first hand experience of Ireland and its history which he shared with us unstintingly.

The flight travelling arrangements were very good, even to the extend of arranging 'wheelchair transfer' to and from airport departure lounge to aircraft. The tour buses were very comfortable and clean, and driven; the driver too was most helpful with boarding and exiting the tour buses. The hotel accomodation and food was excellent. The scheduled visits were interesting, although somewhat strenuous for a couple aged 89 + 82 - ,but we were aware of that when making our reservations. We saw 'Country Houses' which we would not have been able to visit had we tried to visit them on our own. Lastly, most of the other members of this 'Group' were 'our kind of people', with similar education and social background, which enhanced the quality of this holiday.

The Tour Operator /Manager / Guide was outstanding in respect of the historical background of the Country (Ireland) and the various properties and gardens which we visited; he was also superb in the way he made his presentations.

As always with this company very well organised with excellent hotels and very knowledgable tour guide seeing places not normally open to the general public.

Very well organised with every small detail taken into consideration to create knowledgable and enjoyable holidays.

The choice of Ballymaloe House Hotel was perfect. Extremely comfortable, charming staff for whom nothing was any trouble at all, and the food you would expect from an internationally renowned Hotel/cooking school, with breakfasts I would choose as my last meal. We were privileged to visit several of the more hidden and private houses and gardens of Cork guided by our very interesting and erudite tour leader Tom Duncan.

All the travel arrangements went smoothly with comfortable coaches, and good drivers. I can highly recommend Ciceroni as a travel agency and from my experience, this tour.

Tom Duncan led a group of about 26 people around part of County Cork, mainly to look at houses and gardens, some of which are not open to the public. Ballymaloe House Hotel was superb and has completely spoilt me for anything but that level of comfort and service.

Tom Duncan and Ciceroni travel are the best! He, Tom, is extremely well informed and has the ability to impart information on many topics. I have travelled with his company to New York, and am shortly going to Verona too, and have every confidence that the high standard will continue

This was a pleasantly intensive visit to a delightful part of southern Ireland which my wife and I have visited several times in the past. However these five days revealed how much we had failed to take in previously. Doors were opened to us which would have remained permanently closed but for Ciceroni. The houses were delicious and their treasures introduced to us in an enthusiastic,amusing and inimitable style. The gardens were,to us,a wonderment in their variety and in the cross section of large/small,formal/ non-standard,developed/work in progress...even some reminding us of our own semi-neglected plot.

We have travelled with Ciceroni and never failed to sing their praises wherever there are people to listen. They care for their clients as if they were friends.....and in many cases they are just that. But certainly not to excess. As ever this high standard of subtle service and care was ever-present on (and before) this trip. First class.

Ballymaloe was a perfect place to stay and overall it was a very good holiday.

I am always happy with the arrangements made by Ciceroni

A most excellent tour of the County Cork during which, as well as enjoying the most wonderful weather and good company, we were taken to see an excellent selection of interesting gardens, as well as some well known and lesser visited historic houses. The Hotel Ballymaloe provided the perfect respite after a days touring and replenished minds and bodies most deliciously!

Ciceroni Travel always give us a great holiday experience, and stimulate us to investigate further both historical and horticultural matters that interest us.