Looking towards the future of travel we have been working on adapting our tours to be more sensitive and fitting to the challenges the world has been facing this Spring. With this in mind we have created holidays that visit some of the lesser known destinations; we focus on more outside activities such as walking and birdwatching as well as using private guides instead of joining group tours.
All of the tours on our web site can be adapted to offer more safety during this time using the criteria outlined below and we of course can create any bespoke itinerary along these lines and brand new for 2020 we have our “Road Less Travelled” tours; specifically designed to explore less visited, more out of the way places, with social distancing in mind and our “Recharge and Refresh” section – a heavenly collection of places to stay; retreats of pure luxury, far from the madding crowds, with peace and relaxation in mind.
In our new selection of tours “The road less travelled” and also our “Recharge and Refresh” section we have been able to include in our itineraries many of our favourite places that are quite often overlooked, in favour of the more obvious destinations. Instead of the bustling cities we offer you the chance of exploring the lesser known cities & towns, quaint rural villages and the wide open countryside. All these fascinating places are just waiting to be discovered and are now being given their chance to shine!
Although Lemon Valley is synonymous with small boutique hotels some of the Moorish style buildings that we usually use, with narrow corridors and small common areas, are not where we would envisage wanting to stay at the moment. So we are highlighting the hotels we know and love that are more spacious and open, with large communal areas, gardens, private balconies and a general feeling of openness and light. All of our hotels are fully compliant with new local laws covering social distancing and hygiene practises.
Over the last few months many people have either discovered or returned to a love of the simple pleasures of being in the outdoors. Walking, being surrounded by nature and even birdwatching; all of our new itineraries and special places to stay offer great opportunities for exploring and enjoying the countryside from RSPB Reserves in the Northern Highlands of Scotland to walking in the National Parks of Southern Spain.
Self-drive holidays lend themselves perfectly to social distancing and also to exploring the more off the beaten track areas. However, the train companies are fully operational in Spain and Portugal with many extra safety measures in place including cleaning and disinfecting between each journey, disposable seat covers, limited passenger numbers and supervised boarding. Our team of private drivers are also prepared and fully compliant with all new local laws for operation including cleaning procedures & personal protection equipment. On all tours with a private driver the same car and driver will be yours for the duration of your trip – with no one else travelling in the car until your holiday is complete.
Having a personal private guided tour of cities and monuments keeps your contact down to a minimum and social distancing is easy. However even with small group tours there are now strict guide lines that are being followed to ensure everyone’s safety including whisper systems (disinfected after each use), masks in use and hand sanitizer for each group.
Many monuments and museums now need pre-booking to ensure staggered entry and limited numbers - we can assist you with this and also keep you up to date with any new forms of operations and things you need to know.
The knowledge of where to eat will now be more valuable than ever – local places with beautiful large terraces, fresh, healthy seafood and salads enjoyed along with a cooling sea breeze – there are many ways of making your enjoyable holidays meals seem as safe and as normal as possible; you just need to know where you go and we can help you with this and also reserving tables in advance.
Cleaner and greener! We have now transferred our guide packs to a new customer zone where you will have access to download and also print (if necessary) your vouchers, tickets, destination information and much more.
We are always there for our clients on holiday - 24 hours a day; 7 days a week by either telephone, text or instant messaging and at no time before has it seemed more important to know that you can talk straight away with an actual person who will know exactly who you are just by giving your name. Problems large or small, you will not have to deal with anything alone if you need any help or assistance.
If you would like more information about how we are planning of the future of travel please do get in touch using the form below -
“We have a trip diary jammed full of our impressions and anecdotes, a photo album brimming with our enjoyment and a thousand and one memories that we will never forget…”
The Foster Family, Australia - Tour of Spain
“Our holiday in Portugal was perfectly orchestrated by Lemon Valley; our adventure a symphony of old and new. What a wonderful three weeks!”
Rob & Lynda Ecclestone, Canada – Tour of Portugal & Andalucía
“Saying goodbye to our private driver in Morocco was like leaving behind an old friend; he patiently and thoughtfully guided us all around his fascinating homeland; a truly meaningful experience that will never be equalled…”
The Wilsons, UK – Tour of Morocco
I want you to know that we love Lemon Valley! Every boutique hotel was a delight; well centered, brightly colored and with courteous staff. The city guides were informative and caring, willing to help in any way requested. ALL arrangements for trains and hotels were 100% perfect. We have NEVER had such a wonderful tour.
I want to commend Lemon Valley for the wonderful holiday you arranged. We returned with a great appreciation of the beauty of Morocco, of the majesty of its history, and the warmth of its people.
The MOST important contributor to our enjoyment was our wonderful driver, El Ouazzani Abdelkoddous. Not only was he a safe and skillful driver; he was extremely considerate of our comfort, our curiosity, and our interest in learning about the most important aspects of this fascinating country. He was also intelligent, well educated, well informed, and fun. What good fortune we had with having him as a driver!
Our second favorite experience was the night on the Sahara Desert. We loved everything about it! The guides in Fes and Marrakech were well trained, skillful, and considerate of our safety and comfort. We especially enjoyed Rashid in Marrakech. Our 10-day schedule with some free time allowed us to visit two places not on the list, that were important to us, and to rest when necessary. The schedule worked well.
With best wishes,
Hi Nicola, I wanted to thank you for putting together the lovely trip we enjoyed in Morocco and Spain. If I already wrote to you I apologize for sending our thanks to you twice. All the arrangements were perfect and the guides were more than knowledgeable, they were also fun to be with. We had a tremendous time, enjoyed all the sights and great food. Thank you so very much, Roger
Hi Nicola Many thanks to you and your team for arranging such a wonderful holiday which ran like clockwork and we loved it. Worth every penny: you met and exceeded our expectations - very well done! With kind regards Julie and David Friedlander